he happiness of Anna Nagar residents over the Tiruchi Corporation’s recent attempt to revive an open drain that had almost vanished because of heavy encroachment has proved to be short lived.
The Corporation, after taking up the project during the rain last month, has suspended the initiative mid way through.
The revival of the drain was expected to prevent, to a large extent, water logging in Anna Nagar. Although it is not exactly a low-lying area, Anna Nagar has been prone to inundation during monsoon because of shrinking and clogged drains. A network of open drains runs across the locality but many of them have been heavily encroached upon and have shrunk in size. Some of them had even vanished.
It has been a common plaint of residents that encroachments upon some drains flowing across the area have been one of the major reasons for water logging. Many small open drains that flow into the Rettai Vaical have been clogged and encroached upon heavily.
One such drain was the one that run along the Hindu Mission Hospital and across Sivaprakasam Salai. The drain, for want of proper disposal, had almost lost its course in recent years after unauthorised structures came over it. Consequent to the closure of the drain, Anna Nagar Main Road had been frequently inundated. Last month, the Hindu Mission Hospital premises had been inundated with rainwater almost threatening to enter the hospital building.
The drain runs behind the Govindaraja Kalayana Mandapam to ultimately flow towards the Thennur Main Road. Last month, corporation workers deployed an earthmover to retrace the drain.
Concrete platforms that had been raised over the canal adjacent to a house were partially demolished. As earthmovers could not be used on the narrow stretch in between a couple of houses, the work was planned to be done manually. But the workers did not pursue the work. Even the earth dug up along Sivaprakasam Salai has not been removed much to the chagrin of the residents.
“We were happy that the Corporation had at last woken up to the problem and took steps to revive the drain. But the work has been stopped and the corporation should shed its lethargy. The civic body should complete the work to prevent inundation in the area,” said N. Jamaludeen, a resident.
Corporation sources said that an estimate had been prepared to revive and provide concrete lining to the canal up to the Rajaji School at a cost of Rs.17 lakhs. However, the project has been held up for want of funds.
We were happy that the Corporation had at last woken up to the problem and took steps to revive the drain. But the work has been stopped and the corporation should shed its lethargy. The civic body should complete the work to prevent inundation in the area.N. Jamaludee, a resident
