We are just glad that it was not as bad as last year: North Chennai residents

Residents of North Chennai relieved as water recedes after rainfall, but some areas still face stagnant water issues.

As the city breathed a sigh of relief after a day’s rainfall, residents of North Chennai were content that the situation wasn’t as dire as last year. “The water has receded to hip-level atleast today, as it was till the chest on Tuesday. So, we are glad that we can at least go about getting essentials,” said Arumgam S., a resident of V.O.C, Nagar, Pulianthope.

Though many main roads were almost clear of inundation, interior roads of Perambur such as B.B. Road, Permabur High Road Lane still faced water stagnation. Perambur High Road and Stephenson Road, however, were still inundated making the commute difficult for the residents. “I waded to work in the hip-level water on Monday, and lost my footwear. My office is also flooded but I had to come to collect my things,” said J. Sudha, a commuter to Perambur.

In Ganesapuram, Vyasarpadi Industrial Estate, Pattalam, Demellows Road, waterlogging disrupted the daily life of residents. “The water was about to enter my house even on Wednesday morning. However, it has receded a little and I am spared of the hardship. But even a 10-minute shower could completely maroon Pattalam. This is not new for us, as we have been dealing with this mismanagement for generations,” said K. Jagadeesan, a resident of Choolai.

Ennore, Royapuram, Tondiarpet and Kasimedu were not flooded and life as usual had resumed. “The fast work by the city officials to remove water has helped us. Most of us also have electricity and network. The horrors of last year was all we could think about when showers came,” said. T. Urmila, a resident of Tiruvottiyur. The highways of Manali have experienced severe water stagnation, causing vehicles to struggle to navigate through the flooded areas.

Sathish Kumar, a resident of Vyasarpadi said that the work to remove water from low-lying areas has to be more prompt. “There is still inundation of at least knee-deep water in our area. Why should our children suffer with diseases because of the government’s inefficiencies?” asked Sathish.

(With inputs from Rachel M.)