Chennai rains: Residents want clean Adyar for flood-free monsoon
Flooding is a usual scene in Mudichur, Varadharajapuram, Raiyapah Nagar, Annai Anjum Nagar, Goodwill Nagar, Samathuva Periyar Nagar, Thirumudivakkam, and CTO Colony.
The Vandalur-Minjur Outer Ring Road project is believed to be causing flooding during rains
CHENNAI: Residents of Rayapah Nagar, Goodwill Nagar and Mudichur, are not new to flooding during monsoon. Desperate for a break this year, they expect the authorities concerned to clean the Adyar River before the next spell of rains.
Every year we suffer floods; cleaning the Adyar River will bring us some relief, says one of the residents.
Flooding is a usual scene in Mudichur, Varadharajapuram, Raiyapah Nagar, Annai Anjum Nagar, Goodwill Nagar, Samathuva Periyar Nagar, Thirumudivakkam, and CTO Colony.
From 2015, residents of these areas have faced flooding during the monsoon. They believe the main reason is the Vandalur-Minjur Outer Ring Road (ORR).
“Before the ORR was built, there were many water bodies around, but the construction of the road affected all the water bodies; surplus water started entering houses and flowing to the Adyar River,” a long-time resident reminisces.
Significantly, MLA SR Raja recently mentioned that the people of Tambaram will see flooding even this year, and it cannot be stopped this monsoon season.
Mudichur resident Andrew recalls, “till 2014 there was never any flooding even during heavy rains. When the ORR project started, we were happy that our area was being developed; little did we know that the same project was going to flood our homes every year.”
In 2016, the state government constructed pipelines in the Outer Ring Road by linking the Adyar River and Pappan Canal. It didn’t help as flooding continued.
Residents lament that the Adyar River in Mudichur, Rayapah Nagar and Goodwill Nagar is in bad shape. They say the river needs to be cleaned and authorities must direct the surplus water flow into the river; this will reduce flooding in the locality.
R Ramesh, a resident of Goodwill Nagar, says, “last year authorities promised they will prevent flooding, but after the monsoon all of them got busy with the elections and forgot their promise.”
Tambaram Corporation Deputy Mayor G Kamaraj, says they have increased the depth of the canals in Rayapah Nagar and Goodwill Nagar, and culverts are constructed in CTO Colony. “We have done all the work to prevent flooding, we hope the people will not suffer like previous years,” Kamaraj says.