Perennial flooding: Perambur residents blame lack of dept coordination

CHENNAI: Perambur residents allege that the recent monsoon spells have left various parts of the area inundated as the civic body failed to carry out flood mitigation works there. They also observed that an encroachment over a canal in the locality has disrupted the flow of water.

The local body was forced to pump excess rainwater onto roads instead of Sponge Park, causing waterlogging in nearby residential areas.

"Since the redevelopment work at Perambur railway station is ongoing, they have constructed a building in the waterway that was used to drain floodwaters from the Perambur railway subway under the Murasoli Maran Park through a narrow British-era canal, which runs along the pedestrian subway inside the railway station. With the waterway blocked, the inundation of the subway has become inevitable,” said C Raghukumar, a resident.

As the civic body could not drain the stagnant rainwater, they pumped it onto roads using tractor motors, leading to flooding of bus routes and residential areas in the locality.

"The lack of coordination between the railways and corporation departments leads to such situations during the rains. When complaints are raised, government departments begin their blame game, and the public suffers,” added Raghukumar.

Instead of providing PVC pipes and submersible pumps to drain floodwaters, an underground stormwater drain should have been constructed on the southern end of the railway subway, connecting to a pond built by the corporation in Sponge Park.

"The main purpose of setting up Sponge Park was to store excess rainwater and boost groundwater. However, the local body has not utilised the park during the monsoon season. Waterlogging has become a perennial issue in the area,” said S Manikandan, another resident.

When contacted, a senior official at Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zone (zone 6), assured that inspection will be carried out and action will be taken to prevent inundation in the coming days.