Rising road levels worsen monsoon woes in city’s western suburbs

Chennai: For residents of Iyyappanthangal, Kattupakkam, Thelliyar Agaram and Karayanchavadi, every monsoon brings the fear of rainwater entering their homes, as roads outside their houses continue to rise with repeated relaying without milling.In several stretches, road levels are now at least 2 ft higher than floor level of buildings, leaving homes and parking spaces vulnerable to flooding. With many neighbourhoods also lacking stormwater drains, residents say even moderate rainfall can leave roads and houses inundated.At least 80 interior roads, including Parani Puthur Main Road, Kundrathur High Road, Old Porur Road and Kummananchavadi High Road, are higher than the floor levels of adjoining buildings. Residents say several stretches were re-laid about six months ago, with fresh wet-mix laid over existing surfaces without milling the old road.According to the official data, at least 36 low-lying locations are identified as hotspots and are prone to inundation during monsoon. The areas, with an estimated combined population of two lakh, also fall within a wider canal network that carries water from Kosasthalaiyar basin towards Porur lake and eventually Adyar river.According to the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, for village panchayats to maintain local roads and public infrastructure, the roads should not be re-laid without being milled.“In the last three years, 200 interior roads have been relaid without milling. In many areas, residents had to spend at least Rs 1.5 lakh to raise their car parking levels. Whenever complaints are raised about water stagnation, officials simply raise the road level instead of constructing stormwater drains. This issue needs to be addressed at the earliest,” said P Senthil Kumar, a social activist and resident of Iyyappanthangal.“For years, we have been asking panchayat officials to construct stormwater drains, but our concerns have been ignored. Even a slight spell of rain makes the area difficult to navigate,” said R Kavitha, a resident of Kattupakkam.Despite several attempts, the Kundrathur block development officer was unavailable for comment.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news. Download the TOI App.