The residents do not want the 2012 monsoon to be a repeat of the previous monsoon, for that will mean they taking a circuitous route of one-and-half km, says Anna Nagar resident T.A.M. Naheep.
He is talking about the difficulties the more than 20,000 residents of 19 localities faced and are likely to face because of flooding of Saroja Mill Canal, which cuts across the Trichy Road in Ondipudur. “A couple of years ago, water the canal overflowed onto the Pattanam Itteri Road, throwing life out of gear for the residents,” he recollects.
The residents, especially the elderly, were forced to take the Ondipudur flyover to reach home, says S.M. Samy, Councillor, Ward 61. “The elderly had to trek the Ondipudur flyover to reach home and that too facing the oncoming heavy vehicles.”
The two fear that the problem is likely to repeat this because the Canal is choked with garbage and shrubs, which affect the flow. The problem is worse at a few stretches where the width has considerably reduced, Mr. Samy says.
Two years ago during his stint as the East Zone Chairman the Corporation did initiate action by cleaning the canal. But then nothing much has happened thereafter and the condition is back to square one.
If the rains were to be heavy and the canal were to overflow, even traffic on Trichy Road will be affected.
He says the Corporation will have to clean a two-and-half km stretch so that the Canal is able to drain of the sewage from Peelamedu and surrounding areas to Noyyal.
Mr. Naheep says that if the Corporation were to clean the canal, it will also help the residents escape from bad odour.
Sources in the Coimbatore Corporation told The Hindu that the civic body was aware of the problem. It had earmarked funds for cleaning canals and at present work was going in another ward. Once that was complete, the Corporation would take up the Saroja Mill Canal.
