மழை ...மழை ....மாமழை :Chennai Corporation fights to clear flooding

An MTC bus and a man are half suberged at Gengu Reddy subway in Egmore on Saturday.(Photo: DC)

Chennai: A day after rains inundated the city and washed away the corporation’s claims of being monsoon-ready, the civic body cranked up its motors to drain waterlogged areas and clear uprooted trees. Claiming that Friday’s downpour was “unprecedented”, officials said that water from the streets of Chennai was now receding.

“The rains on Friday were unprecedented,” said Chennai corporation commissioner Vikram Kapur. “Though we do get 48 per cent of our rains from northeast monsoon, a quarter of that rained down on one day.

It was not expected. Also, normally we expect the rains around October 14 but were told that there would be a week’s delay due to cyclone Hudhud. We were looking at the rains hitting the city around October 20 and were gearing up accordingly.”

Stating that there has been less disruption to public life than in earlier years, Mr Kapur added, “Today in most places, water has either receded or is being pumped out by the corporation.”

Due to the rain, about 12 subways in the city were inundated with water, out of which corporation officials claim they had cleared 11 by afternoon. “One subway in Egmore still has some water stagnation since it saw an influx of water from neighbouring areas also. We are putting in additional pumps to clear it,” said the top corporation official.

In total, 284 water stagnated points were identified in the city, with corporation officials claiming they had cleared 269 of them. About 25 pumpsets and 7 water suction lorries were employed to clear the water stagnated pathways.

Also, the gusty winds that accompanied the rain brought down about 33 trees in various parts of the city, all of which were removed by the civic authorities.

DC CORRESPONDENT | October 19, 2014, 02.10 am IST