Rains over for now, but not civic woes of MKB Nagar

CHENNAI: The Northeast monsoon may have offered a brief respite with the sun shining through after the recent heavy rains, but the woes of residents of MKB Nagar in north Chennai have just begun. Stagnant water mixed with the sewage has flooded houses in the locality, having crept into the groundwater and made drinking water unfit for consumption.

Residents also claimed that fears of diseases like diarrhoea and dengue have increased after the sewage overflowed into the houses. Even after the clouds cleared on Wednesday the stagnant streets slowed down the motorists and made life difficult for the home-makers. Neither houses in the locality were provided electricity nor was water cleared even after hundreds of complaints, claimed residents.

“The Mahakavi Bharathi Nagar became part of the housing board during 1970s and a sewage pipe of four inches was laid. This hasn’t been changed for the past 45 years,” said Deivanayagam, president of the Artisan resident’s welfare association.

The houses in the MKB Nagar 4th main road were completely waterlogged with the sewage and the rainwater. The houses next to the P5 police station and Amma Unavagam were filled with stagnant water, posing the risk of infectious diseases.

“A live wire fell on the water in front of our house and we couldn’t get out of the house. Because of this, my son did not go to school and neither did my daughter to college,” said Kalaivani from H1 in central avenue. According to Munusamy, an elderly resident, this is the first time in the last 40 years that he has feared the rains.

“After we pestered the Electricity Board they disconnected power supply. But, they never came back to restore power,” he said. Murali from 8th Cross Street said the sewage-mixed rainwater has begun to settle into  the groundwater, contaminating it. “The water smells like drainage and it is impossible to consume,” he added, while holding a container of tap water.

“There is water stagnating around Velankanni school and many students did not turn up today even after a long rain holiday,” said a school teacher. However, Bharathiraja, assistant engineer, denied inaction and said Metro Water suction pumps were busy removing the stagnant water. The Health department is conducting medical camps to prevent outbreak of diseases; but it never really seems to be working on prevention that is better than cure.