The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : City limps back to normality

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

City limps back to normality

City Bureau

Water recedes in most areas but a few, especially in the suburbs, are still to recover

MUDDY WALK: Hundreds of commuters wade through knee-deep water from the Pattaravakkam Railway station to their work places in Ambattur Industrial Estate. (Right) Students dry their drenched school books on a stretch of dry road in Saidapet. — Photos: T. Duraipandi and M. Karunakaran

Chennai: Flood-hit Chennai slowly returned to normality as the waters gradually receded on a sunny Tuesday but a few areas, especially the suburbs, are still to recover.

Water is yet to drain from localities such as Virugambakkam, Ramavaram, Manapakkam, Madipakkam, Avadi, Ambattur and parts of Pulianthope.

However, the decrease in the flow in the Adyar, the Cooum and the Virugambakkam canal has made residents happier.

Tough time

Mukundan, a resident of Alwarthirunagar said, "It has taken four full days for the water to go down in Balaji Nagar. We had such a tough time during the rains that we plan to sell the house and move to another locality."

Battered roads, with inundated potholes, have added to the residents' woes.

Chennai Corporation officials have launched efforts to prevent water-borne diseases.

In areas where the water has drained, disinfectants were sprinkled. For residents whose houses are still submerged, food packets were offered in the relief shelters.

Tiruvallur recovering

Tiruvallur district, which was the worst-hit in the recent rains, is also slowly recovering. District Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal said that water had receded in most parts of Gummidipoondi - Uthukottai taluk.

"In the morning, we had 60,469 people in the relief centres. Many of them have returned home," Mr. Bansal said.

However, people from five villages in Pazhaverkadu - at the tail end of Ponneri -- had difficulty reaching their homes as the approach routes were cut off.

Only tractors and boats could carry the residents across the inundated route.

About 300 families evacuated from eight inundated hutment areas in Chenneerkuppam panchayat region, near Poonamallee, were accommodated in a marriage hall for the past four days, said the Panchayat president S.V. Thirumalai.

Among the people housed in these halls were 200 women and 70 children.

The worst affected areas were JJ Nagar, Pallikuppam, DRR Nagar, Chakkadimedu, MGR Nagar, Old Colony, Kulakkarai and Mettu Theru.

Two-wheelers were allowed along the Poonamalle - Tiruvallur road on Tuesday morning and full traffic would be restored the same night, officials said.

As the Tiruvallur - Uthukottai route is still not open to traffic, vehicles are diverted through Periyapalayam.

Pitchatur dam, the overflow from which caused much damage in Tiruvallur, was discharging only 1,800 cusecs on Tuesday night.

However, the total discharge from local catchment areas starting from Pitchatur to Surattapalli to Lakshmipuram into the Arani river was about 9,000 cusecs.

Inflows into the Cooum at the Korattur check dam point was about 5,200 cusecs.

The outflow from Chembarambakkam reservoir has gone down to 2,500 cusecs, while discharge from Poondi and Red Hills was 10,132 cusecs and 1,400 cusecs respectively.

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