Red Hills:Rain water stagnation at Amullavoyal and Sekkadu villages have affected the movement of vehicles along this stretch. Though most of the stagnated water has drained out now, the villagers expect another spate of inundation if the Puzhal Lake is opened up to release surplus water. The villagers use this link road to reach Madhavaram and its surrounding areas. No public transport, however, runs on this road. When the road is waterlogged, the villagers are forced to take another route that takes them towards Thiruvottiyur to reach the city.Kundrathur Somangalam Road This road is constantly under water during the rains. With no way of escape for the water, it causes hardship to the motorists. Tamilarasan, a resident of Amarambedu, says, “Every week, there are accidents here. They are not fatal, but many two-wheeler motorists slipped, and sustained serious injuries.” For those living in surrounding areas, Kundrathur is the main point of convergence. When the lake wall is breached to prevent overflow, the roads become impossible to traverse, causing immense hardship to the residents.Common Wealth War Graves Commission Madras CemeteryThe Madras War Cemetery was found completely flooded, with the gravestones immersed in two to three feet of water. When there is a heavy downpour, the cemetery is under water. This does not affect the traffic, as water doesn't stagnate on the road. The drainage system towards the Chennai Trade Centre and other places beyond the stretch are well connected, but the low-lying memorial is yet to be a part of it. Rajarajan, the manager of the cemetery, says, “An appeal has been sent to the Chief Minister and the Highways Department has assured us that a drainage system will be built soon.” He also said that the flood recovery costs came to around `40,000 each year, as the plants in front of each gravestone were destroyed and had to be replaced. The gravestones also have to be washed with a special solution, and all these incurred costs can be avoided if only the drainage system is done quickly.GN Chetty RoadThe stretch of GN Chetty Road was found to be fairly dry, barring a few puddles. A few potholes at the foot of the flyover still had some water, and caused inconvenience to those travelling by cars or bikes. Suresh Kumar, an employee of a company on this stretch, says, “When it rains continuously, water does stagnate, but thankfully, today, the condition is better. The potholes can't be seen when there is flooding.” He also said that those on two wheelers bear the brunt of this, as some of them tend to lose their balance.Kumaran Nagar, Padi:Continuous spells of rain throughout the past week has damaged most of the roads in the Kumaran Nagar locality in Padi. Though the stagnated water usually drains off a few hours after rains, it leaves behind a thick layer of slush. Among those who use this stretch, pedestrians and motorists are the worst affected. They are forced to cross the stretch very slowly to avoid losing control of their bikes. However, school students from this locality use this route to reach their schools in Mogappair like Velammal School and DAV School. Many were seen struggling for over an hour to cross this stretch on their bicycles. Now, the slush does not make life any easier for them.Entrance to Kotturpuram MRTS Station:Water logging at the Kotturpuram MRTS affected the movement of commuters for a few hours at the stretch. Since the station remains busy during peak hours everyday, the water stagnation did not affect much.
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