Residents of a host of residential colonies on the west of the Mettupalayam Road stretch between Kavundampalayam and Thudiyalur are scared of good showers in the area. For, even a strong drizzle sends water gushing to the area around the Kavundampalayam bus stop.
It is not just rain water from the area that flows into the Kavundampalayam bus stop but also water from Thudiyalur and parts of Chinna Vedampatty, says the area Councillor Mahesh Kumar. The stagnated water troubles residents of Cheran Nagar, Sakthi Nagar, ITI Nagar, Thendral Nagar and a few more residential localities.
The residents also get troubled because the drain on the western side of the Mettupalayam Road that passes through the aforementioned localities gets flooded with water.
D. Vivekanandan, a resident of Kavundampalayam, says that once the water stagnates it becomes difficult to pass through the place. Not just on foot but also on two-wheeler. He has often been forced to use his sports utility vehicle to wade through the water as even small cars found it difficult to navigate the inundated stretch.
The residents of the area have been facing the problem for close to four years now, he says and adds that any number of petitions the residents have submitted to the authorities concerned in the Coimbatore Corporation have not yielded the desired results.
When the residents submitted a petition to a former Commissioner he promised action within days but nothing much has happened, he rues. Mr. Mahesh says he has also raised the issue in the Corporation Council meeting and has met with the same result as the residents – promise of action.
The problem he says is with the Corporation constructing drain on the eastern side of the road that carries water from north of the city to the Sanganoor Pallam (drain). The Corporation constructed the drain under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission a couple of years ago.
The Corporation should have, instead, constructed the drain on the western side of the Mettupalayam Road to prevent inundation of the road. Without any further delay, the Corporation should construct drain for four km on the road to prevent inundation. If funds are not available, it should use money from the General Fund.
But prior to taking up the work, the Corporation should clean and desilt the existing drain, he adds.
Officials in the Coimbatore Corporation say that they are aware of the problem and will soon take steps to prevent inundation in the area.