CHENNAI: Chennai received moderate rainfall on Monday night and Tuesday morning, recording an average rainfall of 5.35 cm on Monday. The rain in the city is expected to last until December 1 with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) issuing an orange alert for Wednesday and Thursday.
The Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) witnessed severe waterlogging which caused traffic congestion in the area with vehicles stuck in traffic for around three hours on Tuesday morning. “The entire stretch was flooded but Siruseri was the worst hit. There was knee-deep water on a 1.5km stretch from Navalur to Siruseri IT park,” said Harsha Koda, co-founder of the Federation of OMR Residents’ Associations.
According to the Chennai corporation’s Integrated Command and Control Centre, the highest rainfall was recorded at New Manali Town in Tiruvottiyur zone at 13.31cm, followed by Kathivakkam (11.13cm), Manali (6.79cm), and Tiruvottiyur (6.63cm). Moderate rainfall was recorded in Madhavaram, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones ranging from 5-6cm. The lowest rainfall was recorded at Uthandi (0.81cm) in Sholinganallur zone.
In other areas on the OMR stretch, including Thoraipakkam and Sholinganallur, waterlogging persisted in the morning, but it receded around noon, said residents. Heavy water stagnation was found in front of Velammal Vidyalaya in Sholinganallur. “Every time it rains, OMR gets flooded because it doesn’t have proper stormwater drains. The smaller canals in the area are also not yet cleaned,” added Harsha.
Water stagnation was also found in other areas in South Chennai like Velachery. “Drainage works are still not completed by the corporation in Velachery,” said Ganesh Shanmugam, a resident of Rajalakshmi Nagar. In AGS Colony, flooding was reported for a brief time but the water receded after the corporation pumped it out, said Geetha Ganesh, secretary of AGS Colony Residents Welfare Association.
Similarly, the GST road near Vetri Theatre in Pallavaram was inundated and vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. Pallavaram residents said the primary cause of flooding in the area was the government’s inaction in clearing encroachments on the channel that drains water from Putheri to Kilkattalai lakes. Dinesh Baskar (34), a resident, said, “The channel facilitating water flow from Putheri to Kilkattalai Lake has been encroached, thereby, reducing its size and preventing rainwater flow, which leads to severe flooding in residential areas.”
Muralidharan Kannan, another resident, added, “Since 2017, rainwater often stagnates in areas like Arul Murugan Tower, English Electrical Nagar, and RK Avenue due to the encroached channel and poor drainage. In addition, the Tambaram Corporation has failed to clear water hyacinth in Putheri Lake, curb illegal sewage inflow, or provide proper outlets for stormwater drains.”
In Royapettah, where storm water drain work is underway, areas such as Ammaiyappan Street and its surroundings were inundated. Residents of Justice Sundaram Road took to social media to voice their concerns about the poor road conditions exacerbated by rain. Thiruvanmiyur, Santhome, and Sowcarpet have also reported waterlogging issues.
In Vyasarpadi, an electrical transformer on Moorthingar Street reportedly started malfunctioning during the rain, raising safety concerns among residents.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected dredging works in the Virugambakkam Canal and Krishna Nagar, and reviewed the progress on the Otteri Nullah Canal.
Eight Aavin parlours to operate 24/7 during heavy rains
Chennai: To ensure an uninterrupted supply of milk and milk powder during heavy rains, Aavin announced on Tuesday that eight of its parlours will remain open 24 hours a day. Each customer can purchase a maximum of four milk packets.
S Vineeth, Managing Director of Aavin, stated that the high-tech parlours, located at Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Madhavaram, Besant Nagar, Anna Nagar East, Sholinganallur, Virugambakkam, and Mylapore, will operate round the clock. Customers can purchase milk, milk powder, and UHT milk at these parlours. This will continue until further notice, ensuring milk supply without interruption.