Chennai: With the northeast monsoon weeks away, dug-up roads, unfinished stormwater drain (SWD) work and clogged existing drains in parts of Avadi and Tambaram have raised concerns over the suburbs’ preparedness for heavy rain this year. Residents say several SWD projects have either stalled midway or remain incomplete, leaving vulnerable stretches without proper drainage ahead of the monsoon’s arrival.Earlier this year, Tambaram corporation announced a ₹30-crore SWD project covering at least 30 areas within its limits. In Avadi, the civic agency began digging up roads and other stretches to construct SWDs. However, residents said work has progressed slowly in several locations, with some major stretches left dug up without completing the drainage network.The concern is not limited to new projects. Recent rains exposed weaknesses in the existing drainage network, with interior roads in Pallavaram, Chromepet and other parts of Tambaram remaining waterlogged for hours.“On Monday morning, many interior areas in Pallavaram and Chromepet were waterlogged. For years, corporation officials have not desilted the SWD network. Many drains have been illegally connected to commercial establishments and residential areas to discharge sewage, which leads to the accumulation of waste and other debris, clogging the drains,” said Pallavaram Residents’ Welfare Association president M Gandhi.Tambaram corporation commissioner S Balachander said, “This year alone, we have laid more than 23km of SWDs within corporation limits.” Areas such as Goodwill Nagar, Samathuva Priyar Nagar, Irumbuliyur and interior parts of Selaiyur have been identified as high-risk areas for waterlogging, he said. “We have requested ₹100 crore from the municipal administration department to lay a 36-km SWD network. Once the funds are sanctioned, the work will be carried out at the earliest,” he added.In Avadi, residents said their larger concern is the incomplete network itself. Only about 40% of the corporation area is currently covered by drainage and stormwater drains. SWD works are underway in Thirumullaivoyal, Kovilpathagai, Thandurai and Pattabiram, but several links remain to be completed.“The stormwater drain work will not be completed within the next two months. Once the northeast monsoon begins, the suburb will face the same waterlogging problems it does every year,” said T Venkatachalam, a Thirumullaivoyal resident.Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumers’ Centre general secretary T Jayakumar said the civic body continues to describe areas such as Housing Board Colony and Gopalapuram as low-lying areas but has not taken adequate steps to address the problem. “They have been telling us for years that Anna University will study and design new sewer infrastructure, but no progress has been made. It is the same flooding every year,” he said.Avadi Corporation officials said ongoing SWD works had been accelerated and steps would be taken to complete them before the monsoon.
