Water remains stagnant in Avadi Corpn two days after Fengal blew over

CHENNAI: Intensity of the Cyclone Fengal over the Avadi municipality might be minimal when compared to that of north Tamil Nadu districts, but the monsoon woes haunt the residents of Avadi, which was recently upgraded into a Corporation.

Residents lament over the waterlogging coupled with the blocked underground drainage system, both of which have been persistent woes in the area.

For instance, the flood-prone Gopalapuram is now crying for attention. “After filing multiple complaints, two Corporation workers in Avadi visited the place on Saturday but nothing happened. They left stating that it had become dark and promised to return the next day. Two days have gone by, but no solution till Monday night,” said C Sridhar, secretary, Gopalapuram Makkal Seva Sangam.

T Sadagopan, a consumer activist and resident of Pattabiram, concurred, and added: “Underground sewage system is not constructed in a proper manner and the free flow of sewer continues has remained an issue for years.”

When contacted, a highly-placed official with the Avadi Corporation stated, “Waterlogging issues were addressed, and cleared too. There is a major issue despite the construction of storm water drains (SWDs), which were completed at a cost of Rs 30 crore. We received only 20 complaints through the helpline numbers and most were related to electricity faults. A few cases were about waterlogging inside the house, which were addressed immediately by the staff. A few complaints from the Housing Board localities in Avadi were also addressed.”