What were authorities doing post-2015 floods? asks Madras HC, warns Chennai Corporation of suo motu proceedings

Seeking to know what was the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) doing since the 2015 floods that battered this metropolis, the Madras High Court on Tuesday warned the civic body that it would take up suo motu the hardships faced by citizens during the current floods if the situation does not improve by the end of this week.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu told the counsel representing the GCC that the city should not have been facing the problems that it was facing now as the civic body was expected to keep all water receding channels clean and ready for the Northeast Monsoon.

Also read: More rains likely in Chennai, neighbouring districts

The observations were made while hearing a case relating to the GCC. The bench expressed the hope that the situation would become normal by the weekend but warned of suo motu proceedings if it did not improve by Saturday.

“It is such a pity that half the year, we are longing for water and for the rest of the half, we are flooding or dying in water,” the Chief Justice said in his oral observations. The observations by the High Court came as several parts of the city are still underwater due to rains that lashed the city on November 6 and 7.

The court wanted to know what was the GCC doing for the last six years since unprecedented floods hit Chennai in 2015. The GCC has come under criticism for not maintaining the stormwater drains properly and questions are being asked about the Smart City funds.

Check out latest videos from DH: