Chennai floods again; DMK’s ‘rain-ready’ claim faces fresh test

Chennai: Steady rain this week has left parts of the city waterlogged, slowed traffic, and reopened questions on the state of civic work. The government had said Chennai was “rain-ready” with 97% of storm-water work complete. Yet key stretches went under water and roads broke up, drawing public anger. The city has spent about Rs 4,000 crore on drains over recent years. 

Arterial roads such as Anna Salai, Arcot Road, Sardar Patel Road, and Old Mahabalipuram Road saw deep potholes and craters. Commuters reported long delays on routes that usually take half an hour. On OMR alone, more than 70 potholes were noted within a three-kilometre stretch, making two-wheeler movement risky. 

Several neighbourhoods – Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, T. Nagar, Ambattur, Madhavaram, Tambaram and Pallavaram – reported damaged carriageways and disrupted bus services. Even roads developed under the Smart City Mission remained submerged, raising concerns over the quality of recent work. 

In an unusual sight, traffic police were seen filling potholes with gravel to keep vehicles moving. Videos shared online showed officers using sand and stones to patch broken stretches. Residents asked why police had to step in for a job that belongs to civic engineers. 

The human cost has been stark. Last month, a two-year-old died after falling into a waterlogged pit in north Chennai. Environmental watchers also flagged chemical foam on the Marina shoreline, likely from sewage and industrial waste mixing with rainwater. 

Opposition parties targeted the government over the gap between claims and outcomes. BJP state spokesperson Vinoj Selvam said people want basic, motorable roads, not “a Singapore-like city” pitch. AIADMK leaders asked why roads flood if 97% of drain work is complete, and why new Smart City roads are failing so soon. 

Urban planners called the repeat flooding a governance problem rather than a weather surprise. Critics also pointed out that the Corporation allowed road-cutting till October 15, beyond the usual September 15 deadline before the monsoon, which may have worsened waterlogging. 

The Corporation has begun emergency repairs, but residents view the push as reactive. For many, the scenes are a reminder that big allocations and frequent reviews have not fixed the basics. Chennai’s promise of a “Singara” makeover again ran into flooded streets and broken roads, an expensive pattern the city is still struggling to break.