Vaari Theru in Keeraunr town, a storm water supply channel running for about 500 metres, has been under several masters but maintained by none causing great inconvenience and health hazard to local residents.
Vaari Theru has been a supply channel for storm water which is collected at Thavarankulam. While Thavarankulam is under the maintenance of the Public Works Department, this supply channel is under the maintenance of the town panchayat. But both the Vaari Theru and the tank are ill-maintained.
While the town panchayat does not have adequate fund for renovation of embankments of Vaari Theru, encroachments plague Thavarankulam. Vaari Theru is dotted with residences and commercial complex on its banks.
The PWD authorities say that the town panchayat should strengthen the embankment properly to ensure free flow of storm water. “Our responsibility is confined to maintaining Thavarankulam which gets storm water from Vaari Theru channel,” says an official. He said it was too difficult to protect Thavarankulam from encroachments. “As the tank is located in the prime area of the town, frequent encroachment has been a recurring problem.
Last year, 75 huts were cleared in the presence of the police and revenue personnel,” the official said explaining the difficulty in protecting the water body.
Meanwhile, local residents said that Vaari has become an epicentre for health hazard. K. Manoharan, a resident, said that although the town panchayat took some effort for clearing the deposit of garbage, it was not a regular affair. Vaari Theru has become a yard for garbage resulting in stagnation of sewage water. A. Harris, a trader of Keeranur, said that mosquito menace was a recurring problem in the area.
PWD officials said that petitions are submitted at the Collector’s office about poor maintenance of Vaari Theru. “We suggest that a comprehensive plan be evolved and implemented by the town panchayat,” the official said.
