In its efforts to be monsoon ready, the Coimbatore Corporation is in the process of removing silt and blockages from channels, covering manholes, planning alternative routes to divert traffic and identifying relief centres.
According to sources in the Corporation, the civic body had thus far removed silt and blockages for 12 km in various channels. It was yet to remove silt on a four km stretch. The Corporation focussed on Kovilmedu drain, Karupparayan Kovil drain and Sanganoor Pallam.
In these drains, the Corporation had identified 20 locations where due to growth of shrubs, presence of garbage and other reasons, the flow of water would be blocked. It had worked to remove the blockages.
Replaced
As part of the efforts, the Corporation had identified faulty manholes in the city and replaced seven of those and it had kept ready equipment and materials that it would require to remove blockages in the underground drainage system.
The sources said that the Corporation had kept ready sign boards and warning boards to divert traffic during emergencies.
The other precautionary measures the Corporation had taken included cutting and removing trees that could fall during monsoon, identifying old, weak buildings that could collapse during rains, keeping ready diesel-powered engines to pump out water from low-lying areas, engaging labour to handle emergency situations and vaccinating vulnerable people as a precautionary measure.
The sources said that the Corporation had also identified the number of families that could be affected – 1,860 families in the West Zone, 2,296 families in the North Zone, 5,596 families in the South Zone, 1,302 families in the East Zone and 1,475 families in the Central Zone.
In inundation-prone areas like Sivananda Colony, near Kikani School, Kaleeswara Mill and Lanka Corner the Corporation had either installed motors to pump out water or constructed drain to drain out the water.
Plus, the Corporation had also formed five emergency medical teams.
Sources said that the residents could dial 0422-2302323 for monsoon-related emergencies or any of the numbers mentioned in the graphic.
