Stench, snakes add to Chennai’s flood worries
CHENNAI: Chennai residents hard hit by record rains ushered by Cyclone Michaung are yet to get back on their feet.Though several main roads and arterial roads in the city are free of inundation and have come to life, several low-lying areas are still marooned.
An unbearable stench of sewage mixed with rainwater pervades Arunthathiyar Nagar in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar in North Chennai.
“Water level hasn’t receded in our area. We have to navigate through knee-deep sewage water,” said CB Paranthaman, a resident of Arunthathiyar Nagar.
Inundation shows no sign of receding in Lokma Nagar in North Chennai too. “Officials came and clicked photos, but no one came to our rescue. There is no power for four days,” said a resident. In several areas across Chennai, residents rented motors to drain stagnant water. Senthil Kumar, a resident of Valmiki Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur, told TNIE, “We waited for two days with no response from officials. We rented private motors to drain the stagnant water in our apartment complex.”
Several streets, link roads and residential areas in Perambur continue to be under water. Residents of Perambur took to the streets on Wednesday morning to protest the inaction of civic officials. While rainwater has receded from the major streets in Perungudi, waterlogging continues in several areas in Okkiyam and Thoraipakkam.
More than 300 houses in Thoraipakkam continue to be under waist-high water for three days. Many residents were evacuated with the help of locals. “No elected representative or official visited us to provide any relief. Food was provided at the relief centre, but no help came to the families in the inundated houses.” Meanwhile, more than 3,000 people stranded near the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road in OMR were evacuated by rescue teams which were stationed in the area for two days.
In Sai Nagar and Anand Nagar in Thoraipakkam, NDRF personnel along with TN Fire and Rescue personnel and fishermen evacuated more than 3,000 people on boats on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fishermen from Besant Nagar aided the rescue teams in evacuation. In Sai Nagar rain water got mixed with sewage and rescue efforts continued despite the stench.
Water surge shocks ECR
The residents living on the arterial roads adjacent to East Coast Road (ECR) were in for a shock after the water levels increased in their localities about 12 hours after rain stopped. Areas such as Vettuvankani, Neelankarai, Palavakkam, Akkarai and Injambakkam were flooded with water by Tuesday evening.
“Soon after the rains stopped on Monday night we had about ankle-deep water on the streets. The water was so clear that we could see potholes on the road. However, by Tuesday afternoon the water levels increased and by the end of the day it had risen 2 feet. The water is filled with sewage,” said Syed, a resident of Palavakkam.
Meanwhile, power supply is yet to resume, especially in flooded localities. “Waterlogging persists in our area and there is no electricity. The TANGEDCO staff say they will resume electricity only after the water clears,” said another resident. “There are a lot of empty plots in the locality and already residents have complained of snakes. We are unable to make calls even when we find a snake,” he added.
100 students rescued
Disaster management personnel rescued around 100 students from a private college hostel at Narayanapuram. They were stranded as neck-deep water blocked the roads. Their parents had arrived braving flooded roads to take them back to their hometowns.
“Thousands in this area have no access to essentials like milk, water and food for the past three days,” lamented K Vinayakaselvan, a resident of Narayanapuram. While volunteers distribute food, medicines, and water, the resources fall short for the large population. Insufficient rescue boats compound the issue, causing delays in evacuating people from their homes, he added.