Chennai: With the northeast monsoon setting in and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials still snoozing on stormwater drainage works, citizens of Chennai are a worried lot. Nightmares of even brief showers flooding their streets are haunting them even as there are reports that the civic body has done precious little towards preparing for the peak of the monsoon, expected some weeks from now.
Sources said that with elected representatives not available and GCC officials and engineers being inefficient and inexperienced, people of Chennai will face the fury of the northeast monsoon, if it intensifies. A couple of months ago, the GCC had claimed that it would complete desilting stormwater drains over 1,894 km in the city but work has not been taken up in many places, residents say.
Meanwhile, urban development experts expressed concern over growing urbanisation and unplanned construction activities.
P. Viswanathan, coordinator of Chitlapakkam Residents Welfare Association, said, “Officials should have undertaken pre-monsoon related works well before the northeast monsoon set in. If they take up such works now, it will cause immense inconvenience and works will be affected if there is heavy rain.”
G. Kumar, a resident of Korattur said, “the big city which has 200 seats for electing councillors, is headless. We can easily air our concerns to the councillors, but we are not aware whom should we meet to submit petitions regarding civic issues,” adding that the recent rain was a nightmare, as rainwater mingled with overflowing sewage.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, former Chennai Mayor and current MLA Ma. Subramanian said that works relating to the northeast monsoon should usually finish either by the end of August or September.
“However, officials have just started undertaking works, and these will get spoiled if there is rain. Corporation officials should call service departments to discuss issues regarding the monsoon,” he said, adding that people are not safe if this situation continues.
“Taking up works now is a waste of time and taxpayers’ money,” he stressed. When a senior official of GCC was contacted, he said, “We have completed works in the main areas prone to floods. Works are going on and we will take up repair works in all the zones.”
