Velachery is one of the worst affected localities following the Cyclone Michaung that showered massive rain in the city of Chennai from 3 December 2023 until the night of 4 December 2023.
#Velachery to #Taramani Route Closed
Kindly avoid the road, it was fully flooded from Velachery Railway Station Riad itself.
Velachery Bridge also got jammed.
Ppl's r rescuing by Rescue teams using boats.#Chennai #Velachery #ChennaiFloods #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/soPhD21gka
— Rakks ☕ (@kadalaimuttaai) December 6, 2023
Quite tragic scenes in Velachery , pallikaranai area. Many are stranded with water levels upto 15 ft in a few areas. We got a distress call from a family where an old and ailing woman needed emergency rescue, unfortunately she passed away by the time we reached her. pic.twitter.com/MqIZS8TYML
— Shravan Krishnan (@KrishnanShravan) December 5, 2023
While the residents of the locality are grappling with the severe water inundation forcing them to be cut off from other parts of the city with no access to food and essential supplies, here is what the MLA of Velachery, Congress member Aasan Maulana had to say in an interview with Aadhan TV.
"வேளச்சேரி தொகுதிக்கு எதுவுமே பண்ண முடியாது.. விபத்துல இதெல்லாம் ஜகஜம்.." திமுகவின் கூட்டணி கட்சியான காங்கிரஸ் 'பேரியக்க'த்தின் வேளச்சேரி MLA @Hassan_tnpyc அவர்கள் தந்த விடியல் 🤦#மிதக்கும்_4000கோடி pic.twitter.com/tdMdiZOG1s
— Surjith Kumar (@imSurjithKumar) December 5, 2023
When the interviewer asks him about the incident at Five Furlong Road which falls in the nearby constituency, he says, “When such heavy rains occur, these incidents will happen. All this is very ordinary when it comes to nature’s fury. We have to accept it as it is. When the height of the Velachery lake was increased, the excess water will naturally inundate the other areas. We have to accept it.”
The interviewer then asks him about the relief measures comparing 2015 and present day scenario and also asks if one can learn lessons from the present and take necessary action in the future to do better. The MLA replied, “No, no, we cannot do that. This is the maximum we can do. Water is flowing to the sea but if the sea doesn’t receive the water what can we do? This is the maximum we can do, nothing more than this.”
It is noteworthy that the videos and images of inundation that went viral on the internet were mainly from Velachery area. Here are some of those.
2015 Vs 2023
Nothing has changed in Velachery, Chennai.
What happened to the 99% completed 4000 crore stormwater drain project?? pic.twitter.com/Xy5HLR8qLl
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) December 5, 2023
Velachery and its adjoining areas are amongst the worst affected places due to floods in Chennai. India Today shows you the extent of flooding in this locality using a drone. Take a look.#ReporterDiary #CycloneMichaung (@Shilpa1308) pic.twitter.com/eqxlObwMY0
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 5, 2023
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