The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Missing link to drainage channel retraced

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Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Missing link to drainage channel retraced

S.Ganesan

Photo: M. Moorthy

CLEAR VIEW: Corporation Commissioner T.T.Balsamy (left) supervising workers engaged in demolishing an unauthorised structure to clear the way for the Kottai Vaical at V.N.Nagar Extension in Tiruchi on Tuesday. —

TIRUCHI: The Tiruchi Corporation has retraced after 30 years the missing link to a vital drainage channel in the city.

About 500 metres of the Kottai Vaical, an important channel which doubles up as a storm water drain during the monsoon for a host of residential colonies right from Thillai Nagar to Chinthamani, is being currently dug up again after its course was identified by a recent survey by the Corporation.

The missing link, between V.N.Nagar Extension on the rear side of the St.Joseph’s College campus and the Karur By-pass Road, had completely silted up and had almost vanished.

The channel on this section, which had once been about 35 ft in width, had been reduced to a two-ft wide stream and that too with a changed course as residential plots had come up in the area. Several encroachments had come up over the channel and the structures were demolished. Corporation excavators and labourers were deployed to dig the channel afresh on this stretch since Monday.

Transport Minister K.N.Nehru had recently ordered the Corporation to take up a fresh survey and restore the channel to its original course with its full width. The stretch of the channel runs behind the Kalaignar Arivalayam, the recently built district party office of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Corporation Commissioner T.T.Balsamy, who inspected the work on Tuesday, told “The Hindu” that once the channel was restored to its original course, the problem of stagnation of water and flooding during heavy rains in residential colonies such as Thillai Nagar, Fort Station Road, Madurai Road, Anna Nagar, Annamalai Nagar, V.N.Nagar and Chinthamani Nagar would be overcome.

“After retracing the missing link, we would deepen the stretch to ensure smooth flow of water. The work would take about a week to complete,” he said.

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