Chennai

What would happen if the roads in a local neighbourhood, which do not have functioning stormwater drains to bail out the flood water in the first place, go up in height over a period? Residents of Motilal Street in T Nagar are finding out the impact of these twin developments after facing floods even during mild rains for a few years now.

In the last one year, they have written two letters to the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, seeking swift action for both these issues. But little has changed on the ground for the 10 residential apartments and the individual houses that dot either sides of the street. 

While the former came up in the last three decades or so, the individual houses have been around for several decades, said VS Jayaraman, secretary of the Motilal Street Residents Association and member of T Nagar Residents Welfare Association. “When these were built, the road level was about four feet below the ground. In the absence of milling when relaying roads, the surface level of the road has increased. As a result, there is water logging even in the case of light showers,” he said.

The civic body had constructed stormwater drains about three years ago, but that has served little purpose. “The drains are choking with tonnes of garbage. Though it is essential to desilt the drains to make them functional, the workers only empty out the piled-up muck in the manhole chamber and not from between the drains,” charged Jayaraman.

Those who reside on the ground floor are the worst-hit due to these twin problems, said the residents here. Every monsoon, rain water enters the Metro Water drains, resulting in sewage overflow. The sewage water then seeps into the sumps and wells in the nearby apartments, making them unfit to use till an expensive and cumbersome clean-up is undertaken after the flooding subsides.

Besides the water and sewage woes, the households on the ground floor here are affected by disruptions in power supply as well, as the electricity meters and the main switches of each flat in the residential complexes are installed in the ground floor, forcing them to turn it off fearing electrocution during floods.

When contacted, Corporation officials said the civic body would inquire about the complaint and would even meet the residents in person early next week to sort out their woes.

If you notice any civic issues unattended by authorities, please write to us with a photograph at 

citizen.dtnext@dt.co.in 

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