In many areas of south Chennai, rainwater drained by noon on Thursday, thanks in good measure to the intensity of rain reducing.
Inundation in places such as Mudichur and Neelankarai, which are traditionally prone to flooding, was manageable, residents said. Geetha Ganesh, Secretary of AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Associaiton, Velachery West, stated that inundation in most areas reduced post-noon, with most of the water draining into Veerangal Odai.
Waterlogging near Hindu Colony in Ullagaram was reported after heavy rain on Wednesday, with homes getting flooded after six inches of inundation on the street. Heavy water stagnation in Meenakshi Nagar and Lakshmi Nagar First Street and Main Road in Madipakkam was also reported.
Sridevi Ramakrishnan, residing in CLRI Nagar in Neelankarai, mentioned constant ankle-deep waterlogging due to the low road levels and the absence of a storm-water drain. At Brindavan Street and Ruby Complex, knee-deep water stagnation mixed with sewage was reported. Inundation was seen in Sakthi Vinayagar Nagar in Injambakkam, near a microchannel in Kottivakkam.
Roads damaged
Residents of Nemillichery complained about the poor condition of Nemilichery High Road running to Kovilambakkam, which was damaged in the rain. The road links several residential localities to Medavakkam Main Road and caused severe hardships to motorists owing to the patchwork repairs carried out after the installation of sewage pipelines. S. Mohan, a resident of Nemillichery, said the arterial road had been in a bad shape for the past few months. The heavy rain only worsened its condition. Motorists found it difficult to navigate the potholed and waterlogged road.
Similarly, motorists said Ganesh Nagar Main Road in Agaramthen, near Tambaram, was flooded even due to light showers. The main road connected Mappedu, Kaspapuram, and Agaramthen to Velachery Main Road. Due to heavy rain, it resembled a small pond, with panchayat authorities not taking any steps to prevent inundation, residents complained.
A senior official of the Tambaram Corporation said a heavy duty pump had been installed at Thirumalai Nagar, near Nemillichery, and the water was evacuated over the past two days.
Waterlogging on major roads also led to traffic snarls. Activist David Manohar said water stagnation on Grand Southern Trunk Road on Wednesday led to a traffic snarl at Chromepet. Three culverts under the railway tracks that will carry flood waters needed to be widened. “The canals carrying the water from across the road too have to be widened,” he said.
