Heavy rainfall induced by cyclone Michung has wreaked havoc in the residential areas located on the shores of Chennai. Residents in Thiruvanmiyur, especially those who reside along the Kalakshetra Road, Pillaiyar Kovil Street, Valmiki Street, and Cholavaram Road in the low-lying areas, have nowhere else to go as water claimed the ground floors of buildings. While some residents found refuge on the higher floors of their apartment complexes, power outages, water stagnation, and lack of help from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have made it extremely difficult for many.
As is the case with most parts of the city, parts of Thiruvanmiyur are also inundated with rainwater mixed with sewage. Madhavi, a resident of Chozhapuram told TNM that the government has made no effort to pump water out from the flooded streets and residential areas. "This is one of the main areas in Thiruvanmiyur. Water always stagnates here even with small rainfall. I have been here since childhood and I've seen the worst floods and cyclones. The situation is always the same and I do not think the government has taken any initiative to prevent such situations," Madhavi noted. She also said that the government should take steps to stop the mosquitos from breeding in the stagnated water.
Rathnakumari, a resident of Pillaiyarkovil Street in Thiruvanmiyur said that she could not even step out of her house to get milk for her granddaughter. "Towards the end of the street, someone has opened the sewer line. Now the water has been mixed with the drainage and we have been warning people not to venture out into the street to avoid untoward events," she added. "Since the water level is high in many places, I do not think they would restore electricity anytime soon. Now, we are living here without electricity for the second day," she said, urging the Corporation officials to rush to the place and ensure there are no accidents in the street.
Many residents in Thiruvanmiyur faced problems when they tried to reach the Corporation officials. Seetha from Valmiki Street said that she tried all the numbers that were given on the GCC website, but to no avail. "As yesterday, nobody picked up our calls today either. The power has been restored in many places in the neighbourhood, but we will have to wait until the water recedes," she noted.
Verified helpline numbers:
Chennai corporation (tree fall/waterlogging) -1913
Electricity - 94987 94987
Metro water and sewage - 044 4567 or 1916
Snake rescue - 044 2220 0335
LPG gas leakage - 1906
Chennai metro rail - 1860425 1515
Blue cross (animal rescue) - bit.ly/bluecross-help
Chennai Cares (on X) - @ChennaiCares
Ambulance - 108
Police - 100
Traffic police - 103
Childline - 1098
Women’s helpline -181
Prabha, a school teacher and resident of Valmiki Street, said that the price of all essentials has gone up. "A water can was Rs 30 before the flood. Now, they are selling it for Rs 60. The shop owners think this is the right time to extort money from people," she said.
Apartment residents in many places face waterlogging problems, and drinking water is a major concern for them as all the potable water in tanks is about to dry. "Water in the tank may help for one or two more days. But water pumps are submerged in water and it will take a week at least for everything to come back to normal. We are expecting help from corporations but they are nowhere within reach," Keerthy, a college-going student said.
Another concern is electricity. It is past 36 hours since power has been out in many streets in Thiruvanmiyur and electricity motors remain submerged in the water. "The water should be cleared from the streets or there is no point in thinking about restoring electricity. It's more about the safety of residents," an Electricity Board worker told TNM.