Chennai flood: How high-tech IT corridor, OMR, turns Venice with no power, shortage of food
Chennai's prominent IT corridor, OMR, particularly the areas of Perungudi, Sholinganallur, and Thoraipakkam, experienced a severe setback as heavy rainfall battered the region. On Monday, these localities witnessed a staggering 45cm of rainfall, causing widespread chaos and distress among the residents, a TOI report stated.
The main stormwater drains, constructed back in 2008, proved insufficient to handle the current volume of runoff water.
Adding to the problem, several interior residential areas lacked any stormwater drains, exacerbating the situation. The presence of clayey soil on the road hindered water recharge, further aggravating the flooding issues.
Compounding the problem, OMR is situated in a low-lying area, making it more susceptible to flooding compared to arterial roads like GST Road and Mount Road, which lie at a higher elevation.
As the rainwater inundated the ground floor of buildings, residents in Thoraipakkam, Sholinganallur, Karapakkam, and Perungudi were forced to seek refuge on higher floors. However, their plight continued as they faced a shortage of essential supplies such as food, water, electricity, and communication networks.
S Swaminathan, a resident of Secretariat Colony and the secretary of the Confederation of Sholinganallur Constituency Residents Welfare Associations, expressed their dire situation, stating, «We are still trapped. There is no food, water, electricity, or network.
We are not receiving any evacuation boats or motor pumps on OMR.»
Residents' distress was compounded by the lack of response from elected representatives, including the south Chennai member of parliament, local ward councillors, and MLAs. Nirmala R, a resident of Thoraipakkam, who had to seek shelter in a
