Raj Bhavan canal will be the first in the city to have galvanised iron fencing to prevent dumping of garbage by residents.
“Work on commissioning the structure along a 1.5-km stretch is almost complete. We will complete the work in 20 days,” said an official.
The flow of stormwater will however remain unhindered in neighbourhoods around Raj Bavan canal throughout this northeast monsoon. After the Rs.5.5-crore makeover, residents of over 250 homes along the 1.5-km stretch from Velachery to Guindy will stop polluting the canal.
Mosquito density in the area has been high because of the dumping of municipal solid waste in the canal.
The Corporation Council has already decided to commission fences covering all minor waterways to prevent clogging during the monsoon. Fencing of canals is expected to help avoid a lot of expenditure every year on removal of garbage in the canals.
Mambalam canal, which has the largest number of encroachments, will be fenced after rehabilitation of residents. The Corporation carries out maintenance of minor canals and the Water Resources Department maintains major waterways such as the Cooum and Adyar rivers and the Buckingham Canal.
