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Chennai mayor Saidai Duraisamy on Monday reviewed the arrangements being made by the city corporation to tackle the monsoon effect. He directed corporation officials to repair the battered roads in the city and also relay a few stretches that have developed potholes. Pointing out that the corporation was lagging way behind in garbage removal, he directed officials to give more impetus to solid waste management.

Corporation commissioner D. Karthikeyan admitted that garbage has accumulated in a few pockets of the city due to the festive season. He also said that during Deepavali an additional 6,000 tonnes of garbage had been removed. To take on the existing backlog, temporary workers are being deployed to remove the extra load of waste generated, he said. More field officers would be deputed to areas that have just been added to the city corporation. Mr Duraisamy also directed corporation zonal officials to focus on the public complaints reported by city legislators and councillors.

The situation in suburbs is worse than in the city as several subways lie submerged due to the torrential downpour since Monday night. Lack of coordination between the state highways department and suburban municipalities were visible along the GST road as several subways were submerged in storm water. Thousands of rail passengers and staff working at the Chennai airport were seen avoiding the submerged subway to get to and from the Tirusulam suburban station.

“The Trisulam pedestrian subway, which connects the Chennai International airport with the Trisulam railway station and the arterial GST road, has become a hub for anti-socials and water stagnation often goes unchecked there,“ rued Mr R.Palani, who works in an airport restaurant. Later in the evening, state highway personnel drained the stormwater.

-dc chn