Following regular spells of rain, Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore has reported inundation in several parts of the city including the areas surrounding Lakshmi mills, Ukkadam flyover, Lanka corder, Ramanathapuram, and the underpass to the Avinashi flyover. Water stagnation has also killed two people, including an elderly man who drowned in his sleep on the subway beneath the Lanka Corner railway bridge on November 2. Residents alleged that the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has not taken any steps to avoid water logging, ahead of monsoons.
Shahjahan, an employee at a footwear shop located near the Nehru Stadium road said, “Water stagnation on this road is very common. Even if it rains a little, the road will be inundated. Over the last few days, persistent rainfall has spoiled footwear and we have suffered a loss of Rs 1.5 to 2 lakhs.”
Meenakshi, who also works at a utility store on the same road, added that rainwater mixed with sewage water on November 1, flooding her workplace. “We pay a rent of Rs 80,000 for this shop and because of this flooding situation, we have suffered a loss of Rs 50,000 this week. How can we sustain our business? So many children and youngsters use these roads every day and they definitely are at the risk of diseases caused by mosquitoes due to stagnation,” Meenakshi said.
Between November 1 and 2, Coimbatore received 426.6mm of rainfall, and visuals show water entering the multiplex Broadway Cinemas, after a severe downpour on November 1. In several residential areas, water entered houses located on the ground floor.
Sagaya Mary, a resident of Krishnaswamy Nagar in Ramanathapuram told TNM that this has been recurring since 2022. “Last monsoon, when severe inundation on the Vinayakar Koil street led to the flooding of our house, we raised a complaint with the MLA. Corporation workers came and started Storm Water Drain (SWD) work but they have left it incomplete. They dug at the corner of the street and the hole hasn’t even been closed by the officials since.” On Wednesday, November 1, water entered Sagaya Mary’s house again. “We raised a complaint and now they have started some work again,” she added.
Dinesh Raja, another resident told TNM that though taxes have been increased for residents of the Coimbatore city over the last decade, they are not being spent rightly. “So many crores were diverted for the smart city project to develop spaces meant for entertainment such as the race course. But basic needs like a storm water drain to avoid water stagnation don’t seem to be a priority,” he said.
However, M Sivaguru Prabhakaran, Commissioner of CCMC, maintained that the situation is “manageable” and “under control”. “The most vulnerable places are the areas near the major flyovers and subways. We have identified four such places including the Lanka corner subway. We are increasing the pumping capacity to clear these places and that will provide major relief to the city,” he told TNM.
Sivaguru added that most of the SWD works have been completed in the city. “We are trying to speed up the pending work but because of the rain, it might get delayed. Once the monsoon is over, SWD works will resume at full speed,” the Commissioner said.
However, it is to be noted that two weeks ago, a 55-year-old government employee died near Lanka Corner after he fell from his motorbike into stagnated rainwater that was electrified. According to reports, the water was electrocuted because underground electricity lines were damaged by storm water drain work.
With inputs from Sudhakar Balasundaram