Ottiyambakkam residents block road after flood waters enter their homes

CHENNAI: The residents of Ottiyambakkam staged a protest by blocking the Ottiyambakkam main road on Friday after flood waters entered their houses on Thursday night.

The Ottiyambakkam village panchayat is situated near Sholinganallur.

The recent rains completely flooded Tellus Avenue in Ottiyambakkam, which has more than hundreds of houses.

Water stagnated up to two feet on all the streets in the avenue and the people could not step out of their houses. Residents claimed that though the area was flooded, panchayat staff did not respond to phone calls or visit to take required steps to pump the water.

This agitated residents, who blocked the Ottiyambakkam main road on Friday morning and protested against panchayat officials. Residents said they had constructed their houses only after getting permission from the CMDA, but when it rains, their area is flooded as there are no proper drainage facilities.

Government officers remain as mute spectators, only the people suffer every year. The police and panchayat officers soon visited the spot and held peace talks with the agitators and promised them to soon pump the water using motors. They also promised that canals will be constructed to channel the water to nearby lakes.

Similarly, the residents of Nedungundram near Perungalathur also suffered as flood waters entered their households due to absence of proper stormwater drainage facilities. Areas like Nedunkundram, Mappedu, and Vengambakkam were heavily affected. Residents here demanded that the local body and Chengalpattu district administration should look into the issue and construct a proper stormwater drainage system to prevent flooding.