Residents of Alwarpet and Mylapore are frustrated over mosquito menace, which has become an increasingly daily affair. They want Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to take steps at the earliest to de-silt Buckingham Canal at Alamelumangapuram, Mylapore.
Dr. E. Muralidharan, a long-time resident of Alwarpet, says, “Every day, from 4 p.m., my home is swarmed by mosquitoes. Of late, it is terrible even during day time. I am not able to breathe fresh air. I keep my doors and windows closed throughout the day.”
The canal at Bheema Sena Garden Street and Alamelumangapuram, Mylapore, is encroached upon. Residents dump garbage and discharge untreated sewage into the canal. Trash of all kinds, including furniture, float on the canal.
“The canal has not been de-silted for a very long time. Due to dumping of garbage and discharge of sewage, the canal has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. In recent days, failure to have it de-silted has led to a steep rise in mosquito breeding. The blocks in the canal should be removed for free flow of water and bushes and weeds on the banks of canal should also be cleared,” he says.
Apart from taking steps to de-silt the canal, action should also be initiated to remove encroachments on both sides of Canal Bank Road, East and West.
If cleared, vehicular traffic from St. Mary’s Road and Sringeri Mutt Road, Mandaveli can be facilitated through Canal Bank Road, Sarathpuram, Subburayan Street and Kabali Thottam, Mylapore, to reach Luz Junction, he points out.
At present, during rush hour, vehicular traffic moves at a snail’s pace from Devanathan Street, Mandaveli, through St. Mary’s Road, Mandaveli, and Ramakrishna Math Road, Mandaveli and Mylapore, to reach Kutchery Road, Luz Church Road, and Royapettah High Road, Luz.
Adding to the chaos, vehicle users coming from Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore and Mandaveli, travel via St. Mary’s Road, which is a one–way (Mandaveli) to enter Srinivasan Street, Sivaraman Street, Devanathan Street, and Sringeri Mutt Road, much to the dismay of vehicle users coming in the opposite direction.
Greater Chennai Corporation officials say fogging operations are being carried out at periodic intervals across the city and de-silting of the canal has been taken up.
Regarding removal of encroachments, a decision has to taken by GCC authorities.
