Boats deployed to rescue residents in some areas in central Chennai

Central Chennai flooded, boats used for rescue, subways closed, some areas unaffected, residents face challenges, traffic affected.

Many residential neighbourhoods in central Chennai were flooded on Tuesday following rain in the city. Boats were used to rescue residents in some areas. Subways such as the Gengu Reddy subway in Egmore remained closed after water stagnated in the area. A few women police personnel were posted to prevent vehicles from crossing the stretch.

However, the Duraiaswamy and Madley subways were opened for traffic in the evening after a period of inundation. In several flood-prone areas of central Chennai, inundation was not reported on Tuesday. For instance, water stagnation was not reported on Tamil Salai in Egmore on Tuesday owing to the completion of a storm-water drain on Police Commissioner Office Road. The Koyambedu Market Complex, however, was flooded.

“In Ambattur zone, boats were used to rescue residents from many of the 72 streets in the Korattur Housing Board area,” said J. John, councillor of ward 84.

B. Senthil of Korattur said water level had started to rise by noon on Tuesday in his house on Korattur Housing Board 28th Street. “We have shifted to the first floor. Our toilets have overflown. Drinking water sources from the ground are polluted. We can manage only one day. We may need government assistance if rain continues for another day,” he said.

In Teynampet zone, residents in many areas such as Venus Colony complained about water stagnation. They said they had to wade through knee-deep water to reach stretches such as Eldams Road, which had a free flow of traffic.

Traffic on the arterial Anna Salai and EVR Periyar Salai was slow on Tuesday as inundation was reported in some stretches. Roads such as G.N. Chetty Road in T. Nagar were flooded, and cars were parked on the bridge. Conservancy workers were found working late in the evening, clearing garbage on flooded streets of areas such as T. Nagar and Purasawalkam.