Tension as DMK cadre manhandle residents who resorted to road roko

The residents had decided to stage a road rook after knee-deep water, mixed with sewage, entered houses in Chokkalingam Street, Pattammal Street, Ammani Ammal Street and Vinayagam Street off St Mary’s Road in Mandaveli. On Thursday evening, after a road cave-in incident on RK Mutt Road, the sewage pumping station on St Mary’s Road was shut. Residents said this could have triggered the flooding in their streets.

As the streets continued to be flooded even after rains stopped on Thursday evening, the residents decided to stage a protest. On Friday noon they blocked St Mary’s Road, a few metres away from the Mylapore MLA’s office.

A DMK cadre who was trying to cross the road on his two-wheeler picked up an argument with one of the residents and soon it turned into a fistfight. Around ten more DMK cadres from the MLA’s office reached the spot and started attacking the protestors, leading to tension in the area. Police reached the scene and later MLA Velu too arrived and promised to take action on protestors’ demand.

Tambaram residents stage road blockade

Meanwhile, residents of Tambaram blocked Tambaram-Mudichur Road on Friday in protest against the inaction even four days after their households were inundated with sewage-mixed rainwater.

Following the heavy rains for the past few days, many places in the southern suburbs of Chennai were flooded. In West Tambaram, the water entered many streets in Krishna Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Sasi Vardhan Nagar, and Thidir Nagar.

The residents informed the Tambaram corporation officials but no action was taken. The residents said the officials did not even visit the locality.

On Friday morning, the residents blockaded Tambaram-Mudichur Road in protest after which Tambaram police and Tambaram corporation staff visited the spot and promised action.