Flooding in parts of north Chennai throws life out of balance

Residents wading through the inundated Stephenson Road in Vyasarpadi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

As rain continued to lash the city on Saturday due to Cyclone Fengal, many areas in north Chennai were inundated.

Stating that the events are a usual occurrence, M. Saravanan of Anjaneyar Kovil Street, who goes to work on a bicycle in the morning, said, “I just hope it doesn’t rain too heavily in the evening when I have to return.”

While people waded through knee-deep water on Demellows Road, Perambur High Road, and Pulianthope High Road, those in areas such as Stephenson Road, Pattalam, Gandhinagar, and Ganeshapuram in Vyasarpadi had to navigate waist-deep water to go about their daily business.

V. Kameshwari and her family of four had to wade through waist-deep water in Pattalam since she could not miss her appointment at an hospital for her ailment. K. Karthik, 10, and his friends abandoned their uncle’s autorickshaw after it got stuck in an inundated road in Pattalam. “Not sure when we’ll retrieve it. We’d left it there yesterday due to rain, but now, it’s almost submerged,” he said.

V. Karthikaselvam, a Swiggy delivery executive who was on his way to deliver an order in Vyasarpadi, was stuck on Perambur High Road junction, which leads to Stephenson Road. “My bike broke down on the waterlogged road. I just picked up my first order, and I can’t deliver it now,” he said. People, fearing flood damage to their vehicles, had resorted to parking them on the Perambur and Royapuram flyovers.

Vepery High Road, Choolai High Road, Gangadeeswarar Koil Street, and E.V.K. Sampath Road in Purasawalkam saw waterlogging of varying severity. Tondiarpet and Korukkupet, including the railway tracks, were also flooded. When the rain subsided for around two hours, some of the stagnant water in Royapuram and Old Washermenpet drained.

Kodungaiyur residents had to wade through waist-deep, sewage-contaminated water. “It always floods in our area. The water has entered our houses, and some people’s toilets are also clogged. We have flagged this multiple times. People are finding it difficult to move to relief camps at government schools as there are no mats, and toilets are in bad condition,” said L.M. Jaiganesh of Muthamizh Nagar.