On Gandhi Nagar Street in Ward 85 of the Coimbatore Corporation runs a drain for nearly 500 metres. The drain starts at the northern end of the street, which is a dead end, and runs towards south.
At the southern end – the place where it meets the Sundakkamuthur Road – it stops. The Corporation has left the drain incomplete. Broken bricks, stones and other waste have blocked the flow of sewage. This has been the condition of the drain ever since the Corporation constructed it more than six months ago.
The Ward Councillor ‘Amman’ K. Arjunan says that the civic body constructed the drain at Rs. 5 lakh.
The contractor executing the work ought to have completed the drain work by taking it across the Corporation Road to the natural drain on the eastern side.
It could have easily been done given the fact that the road belongs to the Corporation.
He says that he has raised the issue at several fora but there has been solution.
Residents say they have been forced to look for alternative solutions to discharge the sewage from their houses.
S. Radhika, a resident, says that for her household she has dug a choke pit to discharge the sewage because the drain as it stands today is of little use.
S. Tamil Selvi, another resident, says that it is not just the open drain that is the problem but also the underground sewerage system. Both remain incomplete.
On Tuesday at the South Zone meeting, Mr. Arjunan raised the issue, asking why the officials have not acted upon his petitions.
South Zone Chairperson M. Perumalsamy joined issue by asking the officials for an explanation regarding the delay.
The officials promised to start the pending work soon.
