CHENNAI: After a night of continuous rain, streets in many parts of the city were inundated, leaving residents trapped indoors on Thursday. Core areas including T Nagar, Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar and Teynampet were among the localities flooded.
The city corporation recorded 502 waterlogged streets on Thursday alone -- over a hundred more than the total number since the onset of monsoon rains until Wednesday. The civic body's helplines recorded 3800 complaints on Thursday, the highest so far this rainy season.
Water levels in the already waterlogged Ashok Nagar and T Nagar went up further due to the rains, leaving residents trapped indoors.
"Yesterday, we had calf-deep water but today it has doubled," said Rajendiran of Anna Nagar 18th Avenue.
Alwarpet's Seethammal Colony and other core areas of the city were also waterlogged. On the heavily flooded Chamiers Road, corporation officials said water is expected to drain by midnight if there isn't heavy rain after evening.
"We have been pumping out water and disposing it at the Adyar river but the levels are very high. Even the Chief Minister's house has not escaped waterlogging. We are working to clear it up at the earliest," said an official.
Officials at the Perungudi zonal office said staff have been at work since Wednesday night, pumping out water. The zone sees the passage of rainwater from southern zones like Alandur and also from Pallavaram and Tambaram before it reaches the Pallikaranai marshland which is the disposal point.
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"Some areas in Madipakkam like Ram Nagar and interior roads in Pallikaranai have been waterlogged since last night. However, the situation is not too grim. We have six boats at our disposal but we haven't deployed any yet," said a corporation official in Perungudi.
Parts of Adyar, Velachery, Saligramam, Koyambedu and Nolambur were waterlogged. In the North, areas in Pulianthope, Vyasarpadi and Periamet (backside of Ripon Building) were flooded.
"Water in Periamet had not drained fully till Wednesday and the rains at night have made it worse. I've decided not to take my auto out today," said Jayakumar S, an auto driver and resident of Periamet.
Rajamannar Salai in KK Nagar, Sivaswamy Salai in Mylapore, Gandhi Irwin to Nair Point, Jawahar Nagar in Sembium, 70 Feet Road in Peravallur, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pulianthope High Road, Perambur Barracks Road, Tower Clock and Mullai Nagar Bridge in Vyasarpadi were closed to the public.