It’s 2015 all over again for folks in Pattalam
Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com
At Demellows Road in Pattalam, one of 250-odd streets in an area housing more than 50,000 residents, the scenes on Wednesday brought back memories of the 2015 floods boats ferrying people to safety, some wading through knee-deep water to buy essentials, others moving out with their belongings. On Pulianthope High Road, a few km away, similar scenes played out as the civic body has been unable to drain out water after more than 72 hours. The situation was same at Subramania Nagar in Kodambakkam, Bazullah Road in T Nagar, Seethammal Colony in Alwarpet, parts of Madipakkam, Kolathur and Rajaji Nagar in Villivakkam.
In Pattalam, Perambur and Pulianthope, storm water drains constructed 30 years ago haven’t been repaired, replaced or de-silted for decades. “It is not just lack of funds. These areas are densely populated and to take up a project on a large scale, it requires a lot of time and road traffic blocks,” said an official.
At Bazullah Road and surrounding areas, the culprit is the Mambalam canal.
S Janakarajan, former professor of the Madras Institute of Development Studies, said design doesn’t mean just connecting drains with canals. “They should be designed to carry the water run-off from a 500sqm area.”
BAD MEMORIES: Pattalam has been under water for three days
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