Stormwater drain weighs down lives of hundreds in Vivekananda Nagar

FOR H Chinnadurai, a senior citizen and resident of Sampangi Street in Vivekananda Nagar, life was peaceful until the Avadi Corporation constructed a stormwater drain in the area about four years ago. Since then, even during light showers, his house on the ground floor gets inundated. The 100-odd families in the area said they shared the same fate.

Even a day after rain stopped, many houses in Sampangi Street were inundated. Some residents bailed out, while some chose to wait for the water on the street to recede. C Chandrasekar, another resident, said this problem began after the corporation built a stormwater drain one and a half feet deep and above ground level.