COOUM ON THE ROAD: Water from the river submerged huts on the bank and entered residential areas in Pudupet on Sunday. — Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: Adyar and Cooum brimmed over from Saturday evening. But most of the residents along the water bodies stayed put despite warnings, leading to frenzied rescue operations well on till Sunday night.

"We will come out if the water level rises," said a resident from her first floor apartment balcony at Kotturpuram while keeping an eye on the muddy water that had already entered the ground floor apartments in this housing board complex.

Later, around 5.30 p.m. the police evacuated the rest of the housing board residents who decided to get on to the boats as the water level kept rising. It was only by late evening the residents of Sri Nagar colony behind Saidapet court moved to safer locations with the help of police and fire service personnel. "We've been asking them to evacuate since Saturday evening. But nobody did," said a police official.

Venkatesh and Ashok from SK Puram off Greenways Road said they would not leave their houses even if they have to wade through chest-deep waters.

"We've seen water in 1976, 1986, 1996. But if we leave our houses, there will be nothing left," said Venkatesh.

If the threat of burglars left Venkatesh and others on the road, Vasanthi said she preferred the Langs Garden road in Pudupet to the crowded Corporation School.

"Corporation people asked us to go the school as soon as Cooum water entered our huts. But it is too crowded and dirty. I will remain here," she added.

It was a day of several successful rescue operations. Fire service personnel brought to safety nearly 350 students marooned on the third floor of MGR Engineering College at Maduravoyal.

They also rescued three persons stranded in the overflowing waters from Cooum at Mehta Nagar near Nelson Manickam Road.

Police personnel from Sathangadu near Tiruvotriyur brought nearly 300 residents of Thadayankuppam, Burma Colony, and Kargil Nagar to safety on Sunday morning.

However, the city was not without its share of deaths. Twelve-year-old Jyothi from Kovilambakkam fell into a pool of water in Porur and drowned on Sunday.

Gokul, 8, went missing after he stepped out of his house at Mangadu. He was later found dead in a pool of water.

Arun, 20, had taken out a boat and set off with his friends to the flooded campus of Pon Vidyalaya Middle School at Chinna Porur on Saturday night. He fell off the boat and the police found the body on Sunday afternoon.

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