Chennai’s monsoon preparedness came under scrutiny after Greater Chennai Corporation Mayor R Priya was absent from inspections following heavy rain, while Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay reviewed civic arrangements at Ripon Building and the Command and Control Centre.
The Mayor’s absence triggered discussion on social media and renewed questions about coordination within the civic administration during the city’s rain response. The development came days after Priya led a DMK protest against the TVK government, alleging that elected corporation representatives were being sidelined in monsoon preparedness activities.
Deputy Mayor M Mageshkumar also criticised what he described as protocol breaches, communication delays and inadequate responses from officials. He said he had not been invited to Ripon Building during the Chief Minister’s visit.
Mageshkumar said requests for field inspections were often met with the response that civic officials were occupied in meetings with higher authorities. He cited an instance in which a request for a morning inspection received a response only in the evening.
During inspections around 1 am on Sunday, Mageshkumar visited Broadway, Triplicane, Anna Salai and Egmore. Along General Patters Road, he found plastic waste blocking catchpits, which could obstruct the flow of rainwater into the stormwater-drain network.
He urged the civic body to temporarily increase the number of workers deployed to clear waste and maintain stormwater drains while the monsoon continues. The request places the focus on a basic but critical part of flood management: keeping roadside inlets clear so that functioning drains can receive runoff.
GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran told the media on Sunday morning that the stormwater-drain network was functioning. Mageshkumar, however, pointed out that the existing network had been constructed during the DMK regime.
The competing statements underline the administrative and operational questions now surrounding Chennai’s rain preparedness, including who is included in reviews, how elected representatives are briefed and how quickly field-level obstructions are addressed. The civic body’s immediate response will depend on continued drain maintenance and the deployment of workers to clear plastic waste from catchpits across affected areas.
