Several areas were under sheets of water as heavy rain lashed the city and inundated roads on Monday. Arterial stretches and low-lying areas faced the brunt of the showers that occurred on Sunday night and Monday evening.
Pedestrians and motorists could be seen waddling through knee-deep water at the junction of Ring Road and Sivaganga Road. Motorists from Karuppayurani heading towards Madurai could be seen fuming through the traffic, slush and water. Pedestrians who hoped to catch buses towards Virudhunagar and Sattur were caught in puddles and had to hoist their belongings over their heads to cross over to the bus stop.
K. Sundaram, a resident of Melamadai, said, “It is common to find this place inundated during rains. It becomes very difficult to walk. This also leads to traffic chaos,” he said.
Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar acknowledged the problem and said that at least four times in the past the corporation used suction lorries and oil pumps to drain stagnant water here.
An official from the National Highways Authority of India said that much of the inundation was caused because the drainage pipelines were choked with sand. He added that encroachments had also blocked natural flow of water that once drained into small channels leading to the Vandiyur tank. The centre of the signal is also at a lower plane than the rest of the roads, causing water concentrationoutside the entrance to Masthanpatti, he said.
Other areas, particularly part of the newly added wards under the corporation limits, like Surya Nagar and Surveyor Colony, also faced water logging. “My children were unable to go to school on time. Those travelling on scooters could not spot speed breakers and potholes, causing minor accidents,” said Priya Ramani, a resident of Sambakulam, who drops her daughter at a private school nearby.
S. Kalidasan, a resident of Surya Nagar, said that for many years, the road to his house in K.V.R. Nagar had been brimming with water for the lightest of showers. “The empty plots of land often turn breeding ground for mosquitoes since there is no proper drainage facility. Open drains in our area are the major cause of diseases,” he said.
Mr. Aneesh Sekhar said that the corporation was receiving several calls on inundation, particularly in zone 2. “Along with the Collector, I have inspected several areas, including Pudur, Mattuthavani, Surveyor Colony and the area behind Yadava College, to check the degree of water logging,” he said.
He said that the local body had used suction lorries and oil pumps to drain water. “All officials have been instructed to be vigilant. They will be working throughout the night,” he said.