Index Page                                Archives

Lake breach inundates Chennai

     Chennai: A lake on the outskirts of Chennai breached its banks on Tuesday flooding neighbouring areas even as rain continued for the third day in the coastal state. Ambattur Lake, one of the main water sources of the city, breached it banks on Tuesday morning, inundating several nearby villages. Incessant rain for the past three days have caused flooding in many low-lying areas in the city, disrupting normal life. The showers battered many places in and around the city, forcing many lakes and ponds to burst or breach. The villagers bearing the brunt of the situation lamented that the authorities have still not come forward for their help. "From the day it started raining, we are left without power for the past 20 days. There is no relief. We are living on the roads. We cook and eat on the roads. We are orphaned. No one is taking up our cause. All the houses here are drowned. Everything we had in our houses has gone under water. This is the same case with not only Satya Nagar, but also Periyar Nagar, and Anna Nagar," said Kanchana, a villager. Meanwhile, evacuation is underway in most of the flooded areas in the city and residents are being evacuated using fibre boat and catamarans. According to Met officials, the low-pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lankan coast, continued to persist for the fourth day on Tuesday, which is causing the rains. Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have struggled to cope with torrential rain since last month. Last month, heavy rain in Tamil Nadu claimed as many as 100 lives.