Avadi flooding persists, residents demand better drainage system

Chennai: Avadi residents are fed up. Even a whole day after rain has stopped, severe flooding persists. In areas such as Gandhinagar and Cholan Nagar in Pattabiram, ineffective drainage systems have worsened the situation. Rainwater from a larger stormwater drain (SWD) along the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road reversed into smaller SWDs maintained by Avadi Corporation, worsening flooding.This has also left interior roads in Sathyamurthy Nagar, Sekkadu and Kovil Padhagai inundated. Despite assurances of relief, waterlogging continues, with residents citing inadequate response from the corporation.The situation is particularly dire for around 5,000 residents in Tamil Nadu Housing Board areas, especially in wards 40 and 41. The corporation failed to deploy sufficient motor pumps to drain the water in this area. Stagnant surface water mixed with sewage from broken drainage pipes created a potential health hazard, turning the area into a breeding ground for mosquitoes."This issue has been plaguing us for 15 years," said citizen-activist Sadagopan T. "Sewage connection costs rose from 10,000 to 19,500, but the problem remains."A Roy Rozario, founder of the Pattabiram-based NGO people's voice, said, "The state govt should establish a dedicated disaster management cell to ensure proper SWD design and maintenance." Avadi corporation commissioner S Sheik Abdul Rahman said that water is being drained and the blockage in the SWD has been addressed. "We are working to clear the waterlogging completely within a day or two," he said.