Nothing ‘smart’ about T Nagar, denizens fume over official apathy

Many residents like VS Jayaraman said that when their houses were built around 40 years ago, the road was well below their level. However, due to re-laying of roads without milling the top surface, the roads have reached the floor level of their homes.

“Even mild rain brings water into the premises leading to inundation. Electrical equipment like EB meter and generators are kept on the ground floor, and get damaged when submerge in floodwater. To avoid electrocution, we urged the Electricity Department to cut off the power. Thus, we are forced to survive without water and power during every rainy season,” said Jayaraman.

Residents also complained that the storm water drains in the locality were dysfunctional and the floodwater was not going into them. According to them, no civic body official visited the spot in the last three days despite repeated requests to bail out the storm water that has inundated the neighbourhood.

“The water stagnates even for mild rains. As there was heavy rainfall from Saturday, the houses on ground floor got submerged, forcing many to relocate last evening. We are fed up by complaining and urging them to make alternative arrangements, but nothing has been done so far. They claim that T Nagar is ‘Smart City’ after constructing the pedestrian plaza in Pondy Bazaar. But it does not become one when the entire area is flooded and people are surviving without power, food or water,” said Karuna M, another resident.