Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Beauty going down the drain madurai matters

— Photo: K. Ganesan

PROBLEM RUNS DEEP: Storm water drainage work in progress at Karpaga Nagar.

MADURAI: Karpaga Nagar, a sprawling residential area, was intended to be a model colony in the 1970s. Its 16 streets are uniformly 40 feet wide and drawn like straight lines in a rectangle. But a malfunctioning underground drainage and the ongoing construction of storm water drainage have left the residents unhappy.

The storm water drainage project has amplified the problems of the colony. For those on the main road that links the Ayyappan Temple on Alagarkoil Road, it is a duplication of a work carried out two years back. The brick-layered drain has been replaced with a concrete one.

Since the facility did not function, many residents had connected their sewage mains to the old drain, leading to water stagnation and mosquito proliferation. “It is a classic case of money flowing from one place to the other without any purpose,” said RM. Pitchappan, former professor of Madurai Kamaraj University. In the process of digging out the old drain, damage had been caused to ramps in houses used to park cars.

“We are not against the project per se,” asserted some of the residents. But what they are worried about is the manner in which it was executed. “We want the alignment for the drain to be straight. It tapers at several places, leading to water logging,” was what R. P. K. Srinivasan, secretary, Karpaga Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, had to say.

The reason for malfunction of the drainage scheme was attributed to the submergence of 15 manholes under layers of road and development of cracks at several places. In places where the new storm water drain work was completed, some residents have connected their sewage lines, leading to stagnation. There are also complaints of trees being felled by unknown persons. “We brought it to the notice of the Forest Department. But we were asked to lodge complaints with the police,” a resident said.

Mosquitoes are a real menace here. Residents have been forced to spend money in thousands to protect themselves from mosquito bite. The association has made a representation to the Madurai Corporation to modify the alignment and also fill up a huge pit with the sand dug up while laying the storm water drainage.

The civic body must construct wells to collect rainwater so that even nearby residential areas can reap the benefits of an improved groundwater table, said L. Ulaganathan, joint secretary.

The residents made a representation to the corporation listing their demands on Monday. “City Engineer K. Sakthivel has been sympathetic and has promised to look into all our demands,” said Mr. Srinivasan. The residents do not want the beauty of Karpaga Nagar to be spoiled in the name of development. At the same time, they want it to be enhanced with the provision of parks, play area and walkers’ path.

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