Fizzled Ditwah leaves Chennai fretting

CHENNAI: The remnants of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah, which weakened into a deep depression, lashed Chennai and neighbouring districts on Monday with very heavy rain, disrupting daily life and inundating several parts of the city. Continuous downpour from late Sunday night left arterial roads flooded, slowed traffic to a crawl, and forced residents in low-lying areas to wade through sewage-mixed water.

A large tree was uprooted on Greenways Road and crashed onto a moving car, though no injuries were reported. Further west, a floating car on the Poonamallee High Road service lane near Velappanchavadi drew attention on social media, reflecting the extent of waterlogging on the city’s periphery.

Among the worst-affected areas were Pattalam and Choolai. Streets such as Angalamman Koil Street, Munusamy Street and the KM Garden junction were inundated with knee-deep water mixed with sewage. Residents expressed frustration that the civic problems remained unchanged year after year despite repeated assurances. “Years may pass, and governments may change, but our struggle remains the same,” they said. B Lakshmi of Angalamman Koil Street described the situation as hazardous, pointing out that a live electric cable lay immersed in the water. She added that inadequate desilting of stormwater drains before the monsoon had contributed to the stagnation.

Sundar, a resident of Munusamy Street, said some stretches recorded hip-deep water. Commercial areas also felt the impact. In George Town, the usually crowded Kothwal Chavadi and flower bazaar saw fewer visitors due to prolonged water stagnation.

In T Nagar, flooding in streets off Usman Road prompted fresh criticism from residents, who alleged that the Greater Chennai Corporation had failed to adequately desilt stormwater drains. Long-time resident VS Jayaraman said older apartment buildings were more vulnerable, as repeated road relaying had raised road levels above building entrances. “Rainwater from the street flows straight into the ground-floor apartments, causing inundation,” he said.

Traffic movement across the city was severely affected. Anna Salai and Old Mahabalipuram Road saw extensive waterlogging. One commuter said it took 50 minutes to travel from Saidapet to Egmore in the morning, with public transport also struggling through flooded stretches.

Residents along Old Mahabalipuram Road highlighted broader concerns about lake restoration works. Harsha Koda, president of the Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA), pointed to design lapses in restored lakes at Thamarai Keni, Raman Thangal and Subramanya Tank. He said bunds had been raised without clear inlets for runoff, and overflow from Thamarai Keni was being diverted onto patta land instead of interconnected water bodies or storm drains, undermining long-term flood mitigation and groundwater recharge.

In North Chennai, civic activist LM Jaiganesh said several roads had again turned into ponds despite pre-monsoon desilting drives. “BB Road and Kodungaiyur Thendral Nagar - Durgai Avenue remain heavily waterlogged,” he said. As rain continued through the day, residents across Chennai said the flooding yet again exposed long-standing issues in stormwater management and the inadequacy of civic preparations despite repeated monsoon warnings.

Sales were very low. I earned less than Rs 100 today. Coriander and mint cannot be stored overnight, so this is a loss for me

— Bhakiyalakshmi, a vendor in Kothwal Chavadi

To buy milk or essentials, we have to step into sewage-mixed water. This shows negligence on the part of officials and a waste of taxpayers’ money

— Sundar, a resident of Munusamy Street

Incomplete stormwater drain work, poor desilting, and silt collected in sacks are still lying on roadsides. Every year, there are tall claims before monsoon but zero accountability during rains

— LM Jaiganesh, activist from north Chennai