Suo motu case against Chennai civic body if flooding situation doesn’t improve: Madras HC

The Madras High Court held the Greater Chennai Corporation accountable for failing to control the flooding situation in the city during rain.

The High Court questioned what the authorities were doing for the past six years following the devastating 2015 floods and warned the civic body of suo motu proceedings if the present situation was not brought under control.

Chennai and several suburbs in Chengelpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts have been witnessing heavy rainfall since Saturday, turning out to be one of the heaviest in recent years. Roads and bylanes are mostly flooded and neighbourhoods have no power supply.

Greater Chennai Corporation has deployed 23,000 personnel to clear waterlogging and subways. Of the 16 city subways that were flooded, water has been drained in 14 of them, PTI quoted authorities as saying.

Chennai and its neighbouring districts are likely to face more days of intense rain and an alert has been issued for people living in low-lying areas in parts of the state.

In Chennai, 1,107 people are provided shelter in 48 relief camps and over 3,50,000 food packets have been provided. In the northern districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Chengelpet and Tiruvallur, 314 people have been housed in 10 shelters.

Five people have died so far due to rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu and over 260 huts and 70 houses have been damaged. Tamil Nadu has recorded about 43 per cent rainfall above normal since last month.

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