Chennai rain: Several streets inundated; residents asked to stay indoors – Times of India

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Thursday requested residents to stay indoors for the day and drink boiled water as several areas of the city were inundated after overnight rain.
While food was supplied at Amma canteens and 168 shelters were opened, residents couldn’t get out of their localities due to heavy inundation. The inundation began early in the morning after all major lakes in the city began overflowing.
Bedi said more than 590 pumps of 100hp power had been deployed and more such pumps would reach Chennai by afternoon. Water is being pumped in most locations barring a few where water cannot be removed during rainfall. He added that more than four lakh people have had provided with food packets.
Campuses of the Institute of Child Health in Egmore, Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, K K Nagar Peripheral Hospital and Periyar Nagar Peripheral Hospitals were flooded. “We are pumping out water from the campuses. So far they have not entered wards,” said director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu.
Water level rose to five feet in streets in Pattalam and Pulianthope in North Chennai, where there had already been three-foot-deep water after earlier showers.
Suburbs in Madipakkam, Thoraipakkam and Tambaram were worst affected as canals carrying rain water overflowed to streets.
Water in streets forced residents indoors who couldn’t get out to even buy essential items. In areas such as Mugalivakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Velachery, Thirumalai Nagar in Tambaram, Kasturibai Nagar in Adyar, parts of T Naga and and Seethammal Colony in Alwarpet were heavily inundated. Ninth Cross Street in Nanganallur and Taramani Link Road in Velachery appeared like rivers. Ashok Nagar 11th Avenue, 19th Avenue and 13thAavenue had water above four feet.
Power disruption in areas like Pattalam, Pulianthope, T Nagar, Alwarpet, West Mambalam continued for the fifth day.