CHENNAI: Residents of 1st main road of SIDCO Nagar staged a protest on Tuesday demanding action from officials, as the area was fully inundated and they were stranded without food and drinking water.
A resident of 47th street protesting in the area, said, “There was waist-deep water in our homes. With every passing hour, the level was increasing. Despite complaints to helplines, we did not receive any help.”
Residents who suffered a similar fate in 2015-floods clarified that there was at least prompt crisis management at the time. But now, the lack of response from the department to clear the flooded areas was alarming.
Another resident of 5th street said, “The water was mixed with sewage, making it unbearable for us to even sustain there. The rain stopped late Monday night, however, but till Tuesday evening, we did not receive any relief, even drinking water.”
Meanwhile, the office of Ward 94 Councillor in Zone 8 had been giving food and other relief materials to residents on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to DT Next, Ward Councillor KP Jain said, “The dewatering work at SIDCO Nagar is a challenge as water from the Ambattur lake is flowing into SIDCO Nagar. Hence, we have begun evacuating people and simultaneously supplying food to victims.”
The councillor further pointed out that if the Villivakkam lake expansion work had been completed, the water could have been drained into the lake.
“Currently, there is no means to divert water from SIDCO Nagar to other open areas and drains. However, we’re working on addressing all of their concerns,” he added.