Several areas in southern suburbs inundated after downpour in Chennai
CHENNAI: After an intense spell of rainfall on Sunday night and Monday morning, parts of Perungulathur, Peerkankaranai and Pallavaram in the southern suburbs were waterlogged even as their neighbours in the city went about their business as usual.
Sarfaraz K, a resident of Arun Nagar near Peerkankaranai, said he had to video call his superiors in his Chennai-based office to convince them that his locality was indeed waterlogged and he needed permission to work from home.
“There is no way you can walk through this water surrounding us safely because it is not even stagnant as is usually the case in most parts. The water will knock you down because it’s flowing with such force from the outlet of Irumbuliyur lake,” he said.
“Since most other areas that fall under Chennai corporation are not waterlogged, people usually don’t believe or understand the extent of our helplessness on days like these,” he added. Residents of SSM Nagar in New Perungulathur and residents of some streets in Pallavaram also waded through knee-deep water on Monday which also affected the traffic in the area.
In SSM Nagar, a low-lying area, several commuters including school students who were sent home in the afternoon, navigated their way through the waterlogged streets. The poor condition of the roads did not help. “For the last three days, we have been suffering. Runoff from Thirutani Nagar gets collected here,” said Amutha Krishna, Narmada street, Thirutani Nagar in Pallavaram.
According to Tambaram corporation officials, stormwater drains were constructed in 13 areas and those areas, they said, were free of any waterlogging. “There is also a proposal to construct a new batch of drains at an estimated cost of Rs 86 crore and when it is completed, there will be almost no waterlogging in corporation area,” said Tambaram Mayor Vasanthakumari K. The corporation has now deployed 85 pumps and 17 earthmovers to drain out water. Officials said the 134 trees that the corporation lost to the cyclone have been cleared immediately.
David Manohar, a civic activist from Tambaram, said areas in Tambaram corporation have several ups and downs as part of its topography and it should be taken into account during the construction of stormwater drains.