The city is undergoing its first spell of monsoon amid widespread waterlogging

Chennai experienced widespread waterlogging during the first intense spell of northeast monsoon rain on Saturday evening. However, the flood water had receded from most parts of the city by dawn, preventing Perambur and Velachery. In Perambur, Stephenson Road and areas near Ganesapuram Metro were among the affected areas.

The prolonged stagnation has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the stormwater drainage system and the preparedness of civic authorities for intense rainfall during the northeast monsoon.

Vanaja, an autorickshaw driver, said rainwater entered her vehicle and damaged its engine, leaving her stranded near Tondiarpet. K. Shanmugam of the Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations said the flood water had receded in most localities including Madhavaram.

Govardhan of the Community Welfare Brigade said that while the flood water in Madhavaram has receded, the area continues to lack proper roads, sewerage facilities and Metrowater supply and several construction works remain incomplete.

Meanwhile, several localities in West Velachery have seen stagnation, despite the presence of a storm drain network. Residents of AGS Colony, Saraswathi Nagar, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, Aandal Nagar and Mohanapuri faced flood-like conditions due to slow drainage of rainwater through Veerangal Odai, which is attached to Pallikaranai wetland.

AGS Colony experienced waterlogging after 9.30am on Sunday. Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) Aftab Rasool and Superintending Engineer (South) R. Murali monitored operations in the area.

“Irrigation has been reported throughout AGS Colony. Water levels started receding after pumping operations started around 10.30 pm (Saturday). GCC officials have been working on the ground since last night, without food and water,” said Geetha Ganesh, secretary, AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, Velachery West.

Geetha Ganesh, a resident of AGS Colony, said water was stagnant to a depth of about one foot in some localities, including the 4th main road. However, it subsided a few hours after the rain stopped early on Sunday as the GCC installed a heavy-duty pump at Veerangal Odai to drain the rainwater, she said.

Information Technology Minister R. Kumar attributed the flooding in AGS Colony to the low-lying terrain in the area.

As far as Velachery East is concerned, Southern Railway has deployed an earthmoving machine to desilt the six-vent culvert located near Velachery MRTS railway station, which has helped prevent flooding in its localities. There was no flooding in TANSI Nagar and traffic on the Velachery flyover returned to normal on Sunday morning.

Unfinished business

Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar expressed concern over inadequate dewatering and unfinished drainage works in south Chennai, pointing to flooding in parts of Saidapet and silt-filled catch pits on GP Road and Anna Salai.

Several areas in Saidapet experienced flooding, he said, indicating concerns about inadequate dredging and monitoring,

Water stagnation was also reported on Medavakkam Municipal Road and Govindan Road in Saidapet. Gaps in the stormwater drain network along Arcot Road were also a key issue, with funding and coordination issues reportedly delaying the completion of the work.

MLA P. Saravanan said desilting and cleaning of canals and Pallikaranai wetlands was going on in Sholinganallur. He added that steps have been taken to ensure the safety of residents in the Habitat Urban Development Board’s tenements in Kannagi Nagar and Ezhil Nagar Tamil Nadu and those in Jalladianpet which are prone to flooding.

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi inspected the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) at Ripon Buildings and reviewed the flood water removal operations. He also visited the centralized kitchen in Chintadripet and flood prone areas like Angalamman Koil Street and Ganesapuram Metro.

A number of social network users drew attention to the absence of councilors during inspections in the field. Mayor R. Priya, the deputy mayor, and several councilors did not visit the affected areas despite residents reporting prolonged water stagnation and damage to roads and public infrastructure, they said.

Meanwhile, the corporation said no rain-related deaths or major accidents were reported in the city despite exceptionally heavy rainfall.

More than 15,000 workers were deployed overnight to remove waterlogging and carry out rescue operations.

Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna, speaking to reporters after reviewing operations at the ICCC on Sunday, said parts of north Chennai, including Broadway and Mannadi, experienced heavy rain, leading to stagnation in low-lying areas.

The meeting was held

He also held a meeting at Ripon Buildings with the Ministers and officials of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department and the GCC tasked with overseeing the monsoon works. After that, the ministers met at the zonal level.

Mr Arjuna said more teams had been mobilized by October 21 as more rain was expected. More than 100 personnel of the State Disaster Response Force were also deployed and senior officials and ministers monitored the field operations.

According to the GCC, 650 motor and tractor-mounted pumps have been deployed, along with a team of the National Disaster Response Force and four teams of the Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force.

All 22 subway tunnels were cleared and reopened by 6 a.m. Sunday. Nine relief centers were opened and food was distributed to residents in low-lying areas. The company said water had been cleared from major bus lines and affected streets, with pumping continuing in several locations.

The minister advised residents to be careful when traveling and not to play in standing water, especially near electrical equipment.

Published – 18 October 2026 23:50 IST