The Otteri Nullah is an east–west waterway which runs through north Chennai, starting at the village of proceeding through Purasawalkam and then passing through Buckingham and Carnatic Mills before meeting the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge. Heavy rains in late 2005 caused the stream to flood, leading to extensive inundation into the surrounding areas of polluted water and a subsequent outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting. In the wake of the floods, the local administration began investigations into widening the stream to prevent recurrence of such problems in the future.