Chennai: Rain water havocs visually challenged assn bldg

Chennai, Oct 22: Rainwater that entered the building housing the Tamil Nadu Association of the Blind on Rettaikuzhi Street in Tondiarpet on Monday, Oct 20 night made life miserable for the members including several women. Members of the Association said that several important documents and their belongings were damaged after ankle-deep water stagnated on the premises.

Besides 20 of its office-bearers, the association provided shelter to 50 visually challenged women in the 18-50 age group. While some of them are college students, others undergo vocational training to make candles, envelopes and tailoring.

E Rajeswari, a member of the association and college lecturer, said, “The rainwater started coming into the rooms and the kitchen from 2 a.m. onwards soaking our belongings and stored groceries. We have been scooping out stagnant water for over nine hours since then." The association"s general secretary, V S Viswanathan, said: “The documents damaged include the audit report that we had prepared recently to be sent to the government."

He said though the repair work, including attending to the leaks in the over 26-year-old building, was long overdue, it could not be taken up for lack of funds. K V Pakkiriswami, association president, said that in some portions of building sewage water also got mixed up with stagnant rainwater posing health hazards to the residents.

He also pointed out that it was a perennial problem during every monsoon. Water-logging on the Rettai Kuzhi Street, which was on a low level, compounded the problem for the association members. Corporation officials disinfected the building after an inspection on Tuesday and assured the members of action to resolve their problem, he added.

OneIndia News