Chennai now has a different kind of water problem: the problem of plenty.With the city’s reservoirs overflowing following the heavy battering of the state’s northern districts by the northwest monsoons, the Cooum and the Adyar rivers have swollen, flooding parts of the city and suburbs.About 75,000 people in Chennai were evacuated and sheltered in over 140 relief centres. The Adyar that cuts across the city was in full spate, washing away hutments on its banks and flooding residential colonies in Kotturpuram and Little Mount areas in southern Chennai, forcing residents to vacate their houses and ground floor apartments.In some areas, water levels reached the first floors.Several areas were plunged into darkness as the state electricity board cut off power supply. About 45,000 residents were evacuated from the Adyar river banks.A worried city police monitored traffic movement on the Saidapet bridge as the water level rose steadily due to heavy inflows from the Chembarambakkam reservoir.About 12,000 cusecs of surplus water from the already-full Chembarambakkam Lake, one of the main sources of the city’s drinking water, was discharged, flooding several parts of the city.The Cooum river, which traverses through the city, was in full spate as well due to release of 13,000 cusecs of water from Poondi reservoir and flooded many parts of the city.Though the rain relented in Chennai and Kancheepuram districts, it continued to lash Thiruvallur for the third successive day.Chennai experienced respite since Saturday morning. But this was not good news for those marooned in Kotturpuram, Velachery, Madipakkam, Pulianthope and Vyasarpadi. The incessant rains on Friday last resulted in swelling rivers and overflowing lakes and tanks in and around the city. In 24 hours until 8.30 am on Saturday, the city recorded 23.4 cm rainfall, Thiruvallur district, north of Chennai, 23 cm and Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram district, to the south, reported 15 cm.Tambaram, another badly affected southern suburb, received the maximum rainfall of 31.4 cm. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board disconnected power connection in several flooded parts of the city. Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, who inspected the affected areas in the city today, described the flood situation as ‘‘complex’’.Relief operations were being undertaken on a war-footing, she said. The entire administrative machinery has geared up to tackle the challenge. All residents in low-lying areas were warned through the public address system and mass media about the flood. While all the boats available with the state fisheries and Fire Service departments were being used, Navy boats too, had been sought to rescue marooned people, she said.In Tiruvallur district, lakes had filled up and heavy rains resulted in breaches of about 35 tanks. More than 70 relief centres had been set up and 50,000 people wer\e being provided with food today. In Kancheepuram district, more than 50,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas and accommodated in about 50 relief centres.
