Residents of Velachery and neighbouring localities have expressed the fear that Veerangal Odai, a channel built to drain rainwater into Pallikaranai marshland, would be reduced to a sewage carrier if release of untreated sewage is not stopped immediately.
Veerangal Odai, which runs for nearly four km, carries excess water from Adambakkam lake and floodwater from various localities to Pallikaranai marshland and South Buckingham canal. Residents of areas abutting the channel complain that the stormwater drain linked to the channel mostly carry sewage and it poses a health hazard.
Silted SWD
V. Prabhu, a resident of AGS Colony, said the stormwater drain (SWD) network is heavily silted and sewage is released into the channel near Kalki Nagar. “We are unable to step out particularly during evening hours. This also leads to mosquito menace. The channel also needs to be de-weeded to prevent flooding,” he said.
Residents noted that the SWD constructed about a decade ago has been damaged in many areas. As this affected the free flow of water, they wanted it to be reconstructed into a concrete structure.
Geetha Ganesh, secretary of AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, Velachery, said people of several areas, including Bhuvaneswari Nagar, EB Colony, MGR Nagar and Chockalingam Nagar, were affected due to sewage stagnation in the SWD network.
Retaining wall damaged
The retaining wall along the Veerangal Odai was damaged during the construction of upcoming Puzhuthivakkam railway station. Residents complained that several representations have been made to various departments, but action is yet to be taken to arrest sewage from being released into Veerangal Odai. Sources in the Water Resources Department said the Veerangal Odai has been improved into a concrete channel to enable free flow of water and is nearly 7.5 metre wide now. “We have written to the Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metrowater to arrest release of sewage into SWD. We have been periodically removing vegetation from the channel. Work to clear vegetation and desilt the channel would begin in a couple of months before the onset of Northeast monsoon,” an official said. Responding to the complaints, a senior official of the Chennai Corporation said that complaints of sewage flowing into the Veerangal Odai through SWD have been received from resident welfare associations in Adambakkam.
‘A tough task’
“It is proving to be a tough task to arrest sewage entry into the network as it flows through the inter-linked stormwater drain from other zones, including Nanganallur, where residents have illegally linked their sewage lines,” he said.
