CHENNAI: Even two weeks after the rains triggered by Cyclone Michaung, parts of Athipattu Pudunagar in Tiruvallur remain flooded. The residents said rain water from Athipattu, Nandiambakkam and Minjur drain through their village and they are no strangers to inundation. However, the flood water rose to unprecedented levels this month.
Lathadevi P, a resident of Athipattu Pudunagar, said, “On Monday (December 4), there was around waist-level water in our area, but it went even past our heads the next day. We evacuated at once and slept on the platform of a railway station nearby. We stayed there bearing all the mosquito bites, and some volunteers now and then brought us food.”
By the time the residents returned to their houses, valuable certificates and documents were devoured by the floods. TNIE visited the village on three days last week and the water levels showed no sign of receding. “Water stagnation is commonplace here, but it used to maximum reach two-feet high and drain out in two days. This time, however, the water level rose to more than six feet. It has been 13 days and still we have to wade through knee deep water here,” said Annakilli M, another resident.
TNIE had reported in 2017 about the frequent floods in Athipattu Pudunagar. After over six year, the situation has only turned worse. Paramashwari P said, “When we were leaving our houses during the recent cyclone, my son had to hold my chin up for a long time so that I wouldn’t suffocate and die. The flood water had reached that high.”
The residents said after their panchayat leader broke the approach road to NTECL Vallur Thermal Power Station, the flood water dropped from waist-level to knee-level. Many of them are yet to return to their houses. They are staying at relatives’ places and waiting for the flood water to completely recede. TNIE found that several children have also not returned to their school.
When asked, a class 9 boy who was going to school wading through stagnant water said, “Most of my friends haven’t returned to school. I am attending the classes only since the half-yearly exams are underway. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be taking this risk.” Several children in the area have also taken ill with fever, cold and cough.
A panchayat official told TNIE that efforts are on to pump out the remaining water. “To completely let the water recede, we need to demolish parts of the walls constructed on the flood plain by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in the area. We have communicated this to the companies, and the work will be over in one or two days,” the official said.