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As Rain Floods City, Temple Tanks Keep Mylapore

As Rain Floods City, Temple Tanks Keep Mylapore

TIMES CITY THE TIMES OF , | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2015 HC ASKS GOVT TO CONSIDER PLEA SEEKING CCTV DOCS SAY REDUCE DAILY CONSUMPTION CAMERA INSTALLATION IN GOVT OFFICES | 4 TO LESS THAN 10% OF ENERGY INTAKE | 5

Act As Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Recharging Groundwater Levels And Absorbing Floodwaters In The Area A Prathap As rain floods city, temple tanks keep dry L R Shankar B Sivakumar & Priya M Menon | TNN ter in the tank has increased by BRIMFUL: The Kapaleeswarar which has filled up following heavy showers in the city 8 ft,” he says. his year, Chennai re- The tank has ensured there is ceived the maximum no flooding over an area of at STOREHOUSE: The tank of the Karaneeswarar Temple in rainfall in a decade. least 2km around the temple. TBut even as several “There is no flooding in the area parts of the city were despite the heavy rain we have flooded, Mylapore remained fairly had this year,” says Srikanth. Pre- cleaning unaffected. And one doesn’t have People who live in the area are to look far to find the reason. The also happy to see the tank full. brimming waters of the Ka- “We are seeing it full after more paleeswarar temple tank bespeak than five years. Since the ground- helped fill up tanks of a time when temple tanks acted water level is recharged, it means as rainwater harvesting systems. our wells and borewells will have TIMES NEWS NETWORK using the bins throw the “A lot of the water goes under- water throughout the year,” says garbage on the road and it ground, depending on the S Venkata Subramanian, who ater may be a prob- blocks the inlets to the tank. groundwater level in the area and lives on Adam Street, which runs lem for residents Apart from the bins there are the remaining water gets into the directly opposite the tank. Win Chennai, but people who are occupying the tank,” says Nanditha Krishna, However, the other temple many temple areas thereby blocking the president, C P Ramaswami Aiyar tank in Mylapore, the Chitraku- tanks around the city and sub- inlets,” said the official. Foundation. lam, which is just a few feet from urbs have filled up bringing As excess water made Temple tanks not only help the Kapaleeswarar tank, is not cheer to those living in their its way into the tanks, streets recharge the groundwater but even half full as it has not been vicinity. Of the 12 large temple around remained free of also absorb the floodwaters. “Ear- desilted. tanks in and around the city, waterlogging. lier, houses near the temple tanks “The water level in Chitraku- eight are filled to the brim. The More water in the tanks EARLIER, ALL YERIS BENEFITS lam, which is maintained by the remaining are half-full as the means a recharged groundwa- WERE INTERCONNECTED Aadi Kesava Perumal Temple, is inlets have been blocked. ter over an area of 1 km around Six inlets carry excess rainwater in Mylapore to the Kapaleeswarar Temple Tank thus not very high when you compare the tank. In many of these BY CHANNELS AND THE OF HAVING preventing waterlogging within a radius of 2km from the temple it to the Kapali tank,” says a res- tanks, the temple administra- OVERFLOW FROM ONE WOULD A TEMPLE ident. “If the local authorities WATER DID NOT FLOW AS tion had undertaken rainwater GO TO THE OTHER. NOW Kapaleeswarar take necessary steps, water can EXPECTED INTO SEVERAL harvesting to store more water TANK North Mada Street Temple be stored in this tank too.” TEMPLE TANKS and made arrangements to NEITHER THE YERIS NOR Nanditha feels that if temple WITH ensure water from the streets THE CHANNELS EXIST tanks are well maintained, they GARBAGE BLOCKING THE flowed into them. The results NANDITHA KRISHNA | PRESIDENT, would help prevent flooding in INFLOW CHANNELS are there to see. C P RAMASWAMI AIYAR FOUNDATION the city even during heavy rain. “The Venkatesa Perumal Helps Inlets “There are about 50 temple tanks temple tank in Nungambak- were also constructed with slop- recharge in the city but only a few are in “Before this monsoon, we kam, Karaneeswarar temple ing roofs so that the rainwater groundwater good condition,” she says. “If cleaned the area near temple tank in Saidapet and Thyagara- would flow into the tank,” they were well maintained, we tanks so that rainwater from the jaswamy Temple in Thiruvot- Mylapore, Kapaleeswarar Nanditha says. would not have such a problem nearby areas flowed into the tiyur are 100% to the capacity,” Temple Tank A temple tank in the locality K Mutt road during rains.” tanks. We were successful in said the official. R also has other benefits. Keeps the Earlier, all the yeris (artificial some areas like Mylapore, Sai- Subsequently, residents who “Right through summer, the wa- Since temple tanks locality cool. water bodies) in the city were dapet and ,” have to make do with brackish ter body makes the whole place have inlets, during Has a interconnected by channels and said a senior Hindu Religious water or pay private tankers refreshing and pleasantly cool,” heavy rains, it helps calming the overflow from one would go and Charitable Endowments during the summer are hoping absorb floodwater effect says Nanditha. South Mada Street to the other, says Nanditha. “For (HR&CE) official. their wells will have sufficient Today, Chennai has about 50 instance, we had a However, the water did not water throughout the year. temple tanks but not all of them yeri and a Mylapore yeri and flow as expected into several “The residents around the are well maintained. Mylapore there was a channel connecting temple tanks with garbage Thyagarajaswamy temple are has two tanks -- the Kapaleeswa- both. Now neither the yeris nor blocking the inflow channels. very happy as the water level in rar temple tank and the Chitra- the channels exist,” she says. “In , for example, their wells has gone up. There kulam. Till 2004, the Kapaleeswa- desilted and the inflow channels tank. “Water collected on R K tank through which water flows “Since all the channels that criss- the tank is only 45% of its ca- is no waterlogging around the rar tank was dry and children were cleared. Mutt Road gets into the inlet near into it,” says R Srikanth, who crossed the city are gone, the pacity. The inlets around the streets of the tank,” said used to play cricket on the bed. Now there are at least six in- a hotel on South Mada Street. maintains a garden around the roads become the pathway for the tank are blocked as there are Kritika Vivek, a resident of However, the same year, it was lets that direct water into the There are other inlets around the tank. “Since the rain began, wa- movement of water.” garbage bins. People instead of Thiruvottiyur.

Estimated water level in various temple tanks in Chennai Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Angala Parameshwari Kapaleeswarar Parthasarathy Vadapalani Andavar ALMOST FULL as on November 21 Temple, Temple, Mylapore Temple, Temple, Vadapalani Source: HR&CE Department 100% 95% 80% 50% 45% RESILIENCE AFTER THE DELUGE Many miss flights after Monday Rain this northeast monsoon has been abundant, but thousands of residents in Chennai have been struggling with flooded houses and streets rain with no cabs, jammed roads Pics: R Ramesh Shankar, L R Shankar and B A Raju

TIMES NEWS NETWORK cancellations. People who Though rain stopped landed at the airport, too, had a Chennai: The 10cm of rain on late at night, travellers tough time getting cabs to re- Monday did not affect flight ach their destination in the schedules, but it did hit passen- who were to board city,” he said. gers. Many missed their flights early morning flights Though rain stopped late at at night as they were stuck for had a tough time night, travellers who were to hours in traffic snarls, while a reaching the airport board early morning flights few who had to catch morning had a tough time reaching the flights suffered because cabs because cabs were not airport because cabs were not were not available through the available. App-based available. App-based cab ser- night. services virtually shut vices shut down overnight as Road traffic came to a stand- drivers refused to accept trips. still for hours near Little down overnight Autos came to the rescue of a Mount, and also on 100 few early morning travellers. Feet Road. Waterlogging near most of the flights had at least time from T Nagar. It took three Shruti Somakumar, who metro rail worksites slowed one or two no-show passengers hours for him to reach the air- travelled to Dubai by an early down traffic in Meenambak- because of the chaos. Pawan port. Similarly, three passen- morning Emirates flight on kam. GST Road was damaged Kumar of Peekay Holidays gers headed to by Ti- Tuesday, booked an auto and flooded near Meenambak- said three of his clients missed ger Airways also missed their through an app to reach the air- kam railway station. The their flights. “One traveller flight,” Kumar said. port. “I had to check in by width of the carriageway there who had booked a ticket to Ha- An airline official said 6.45am. No cab was available; TWEETS has been reduced because of noi on a Malaysian Airlines many people called to resche- an auto driver registered with the work-site barricades. flight missed it because he dule their flights because of the a cab aggregator came to my An airport official said could not reach the airport on heavy rain. “There were a few rescue,” she said. @archanaapradhap | Wonder when life would get back to normalcy NEWS DIGEST again. Yet another holiday Man, 38, rides over MTC operates declared Financial aid to @yoloparam | Facebook services till needs to launch a safety couple who died flooded pothole, dies check for people affected by the #chennairains Chief minister J Jayalalithaa 1am on Tue TIMES NEWS NETWORK on Tuesday announced a fi- S Babu, who worked TIMES NEWS NETWORK @AdichuVudu | Calling nancial aid of `8 lakh to the Chennai: A 38-year-old man as a plumber, was OLA: Urgently need to go to family of Karunakaran and died on Tuesday of injuries Chennai: The Metropolitan AshokNagar.Can I get an Sudha, the couple, who died returning home sustained in a fall after rid- Transport Corporation had to auto? No. Mini? No. Sedan? after an overhead power ca- ing his two-wheeler over a when the accident operate services till 1 am on No. Boat? No.Then how? ble snapped and fell on pothole on a flooded CP Ra- happened Tuesday, as many buses were Helicopter? them during heavy rain on maswamy Road on Novem- stuck on waterlogged streets. Sunday. They were on a mo- ber 20. wife and two children aged Traffic in many areas @BigBongTragedy | From torcycle in when MAROONED: Where S Babu, a plumber from 10 and 8. across the city were brought to #noshavenovember to the accident happened. modern technology Govindasamy Nagar in RA Meanwhile, the RA Pu- a standstill because of the con- #nosemnovember in failed, a bullock Puram, was returning home ram police refused to file an fusion brought on by heavy Chennai colleges Loyola College helps cart came to the after work around 8 pm FIR. “The police said we rain. Buses were piled up on flood victims: Students of rescue of residents @lauvanya | Tried to leave when the accident hap- need a death certificate from various roads across south and Loyola College took part in in home, hit traffic snarls pened. Since the streets the hospital saying that he since 6 pm, relief work in two flood- (from top); rescue everywhere, car fell into a were flooded, he couldn’t died in an accident, which said an MTC official. affected areas in the city. operations were in spot the pothole and drove they refused to give,” Balaji He said MTC services were pothole &had to be Principal Joseph Antony Sa- full swing in over it, said his brother S Ba- said. disrupted for more than five dragged out. Phew! Finally my S J formed a task force Manimangalam on laji. The inspector at the po- hours in several areas. back called Loyola Rain Relief Ser- Monday; and Babu was not wearing a lice station confirmed that a Nearly 1,200 buses were put vices, which provided Velachery @krishamutta | The TN helmet; he injured his neck complaint had not been fil- in service after 10.30 pm on packets, , biscuit pack- continues to remain Government has to stop in the fall. He was immedi- ed. Family members also Monday to help stranded peo- ets, mats, tarpaulin, bed one of the worst giving holidays, serious ately rushed to Rajiv Gandhi blamed the Chennai corpo- ple in various parts of the city. sheets, towels, to people in affected areas with Government General Hospi- ration for badly maintained According to the official, a total and conscious want to get and Anju Kudu- many streets and tal. He died of his injuries on roads and said CP Ramaswa- of 3,468 services were in oper- back to routine.. su slum in , Na- houses still Tuesday, said Balaji. my Road was immediately ation from Monday till Tues- #chennairains #holidays machivayapuram, Saidapet. inundated Babu is survived by his repaired after the accident. day 1 am. #frustrated

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/650916/The-New-Indian-Express-Chennai/28112015#page/20/2

CITIES » CHENNAI

Published: December 6, 2015 08:51 IST | Updated: December 6, 2015 10:51 IST ​ CHENNAI, December 6, 2015 College offers succour to residents

Zubeda Hamid

S. Poorvaja

A doctor examines a senior citizen at the relief camp at Loyola College. Photo: R.Ragu

On the Loyola College campus, about 200 student volunteers and 25 staff have been formed into committees to look after the needs of the 2,000­odd flood­hit residents who have been accommodated there, there is a help desk at the entrance, and relief materials are distributed room­wise to all, said public relations officer K.S. Antony Samy.

“We have no problems with regard to food, water or bed sheets. We do require other materials such as clothes, schoolbags and books,” said B. Latha, who, along with A. Sulochana, had been rescued by boats from East Namasivayapuram in .

S. Chinnamma, who has a wound on her left forehead from slipping and falling while trying to retrieve a few possessions from her home, said she had consulted doctors at the daily medical camp run at the college with volunteers and Chennai Corporation doctors. “We lost everything — fridges, beds, mixers and grinders — all gone,” she said.

P. Gajjalakshmi, who worked as a salesperson at the Poorvika mobile showroom in , was worried about her school certificates. “I couldn’t see my house — it was completely drowned in the water,” she said.

With schools and colleges possibly re­opening on Monday, the residents are worried as to where they will go and how they will get back to their old lives. “We are already hearing that we may have to leave on Sunday. But what will we do? We have no homes or possessions,” one resident said.

Mr. Antony Samy said the college’s reopening may be delayed by a day or two as they did not want to pressure the residents to leave.

Where relief does not reach them

At Jaigopal Garodiya School in Saidapet that now houses residents who used to live along the Adayar river in huts near the area, they are unsure of what to go back to.

“Everything, including my ration card, clothes and valuables, have been washed away. We were living there for the past 13 years, waiting for our Housing Board apartments which we were allotted more than a decade ago,” said A. Kuppusamy, a 62­year­old resident.

People in the camp, which houses over 200 people from the nearby areas who fled their homes after water levels on Monday, say that other than food, they have not got any relief materials. “Since a large number of people have been affected in this area, they line up on the main roads and stop the relief vehicles or even get into the relief trucks and take away things before they can reach here,” said L. Kaniammal. Stating that there were many at the camp, she pleaded for relief workers to provide for milk and baby clothes.

Many other persons in the camp said that only on Saturday, after much pleading, had they got access to water. The camp in itself a picture of squalor and neglect with stagnant water and slushy grounds which, they fear, will lead to an outbreak of malaria or dengue.

Printable version | Dec 6, 2015 5:12:16 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/college­offers­succour­to­ residents/article7954599.ece

© For Chennai slum residents, access to flood relief depends on luck and muscle power

Neighbours in a Chooleimedu slum have ended up in two very different kinds of relief shelters.

Nayantara Narayanan · Dec 11, 2015 · 08:55 am

Deepa Rajkumar is eight months pregnant. On the night of December 1, when the rains hit Chennai the hardest, she was in her house in the Namachivayapuram slum in Chooleimedu. "The water came in from the river and was up to chest height. We somehow got out," she said, standing in a big, dry classroom in Loyola College.

Deepa Rajkumar at the Loyola College shelter

The college has accommodated 1,200 people from Namachivayapuram in three floors of the social work department. The rooms are large and plenty and the temporary residents have spread themselves out. They have received mats to sleep on and bedsheets to cover themselves with. Student volunteers ensure that food and water are distributed on time.

At 3pm on Saturday, the second of three daily cleanings was underway in one of the bathrooms. Diaper- wearing toddlers held on to their in the corridors. Older children played in a ground in front of the building where a fire truck and police van were stationed. Student volunteers noted the entry and exit of visitors and materials.

"It's run like it would be prescribed in a manual. Or at least close to it," said Hari Balaji, state coordinator with the non-governmental organisation Sphere India.

Not all the residents of Namachivayapuram are in the Loyola college shelter. After escaping the water and after most of their neighbours were taken to Loyola College, 500 people were sent to a primary school just up the road from their settlement. There are fewer than 10 rooms at the school and one toilet.

"They come [from the government] to give us food and water and leave medicines. But we don't get anything else," said S Sandhya, who had been staying there for four days.

The temporary residents of the school have been cleaning the premises themselves but said that the single toilet has become unusable. They have been trying to find basic material, which is proving tough."It is very cold here and we don't have bedsheets," said 70-year-old R Mary. This, despite many relief-laden cars having been in the vicinity.

"When any material comes here for the shelter, people waiting outside come and grab things and take them back to their houses," said S Sandhya. "Especially, the men. We can't fight them and so we don't get anything."With no municipal representative or volunteers keeping watch at the school, distribution of relief had become a free for all." There, it's happening again," a woman in the shelter remarked when raised voices at the school's entrance caught everyone's attention. Two girls had walked into the school and had been surrounded by a crowd of men and women. After some shouting and shoving when the crowd cleared, one of the girls was in tears.

After being escorted outside and catching her breath, the girl, who did not want to be named, said "I just came to leave biscuits for the children. But everyone pushed us and tore the packet."

"Some of these people are from our area but are not staying in this shelter," said Sandhya, about those grabbing bedsheets and biscuits.

The road to Namachivayapuram

Everyone in the Namachivayapuram has lost almost everything. Four days after the worst flood this season, the lane into the slum was still slushy and the houses damp. Whether within a shelter or without, it's obvious that people left to fend for themselves were getting desperate. Asked whether she would come back to help with food, the girl with the biscuits said, "Of course, we have seen how bad it is. We will come again."

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