Corporation promises completion of drain works

A storm water drain being constructed at Balasundaram Layout, in Singanallur, in the city. Photo: K. Ananthan

K. Rathna Kumar of Balasundaram Layout, Singanallur, has been waiting for a storm water drain for long. For over a year, to be precise. He is worried about it – not as much about the absence but the Corporation leaving out the area while providing the storm water drain to neighbouring areas.

The Corporation leaving out the three streets of the layout is unfair. If the civic body can provide the drain to neighbouring streets, why has it failed to extend the drain to the area, he asks.

If it is the absence of the drain for him, for other city residents it is the absence of culverts and joints that is troubling them.

At many places in the city, the Corporation has constructed the storm water drain alongside roads but left incomplete the construction at junctions.

This has led to stagnation at the road junctions across the city.

This led to repeated complaints from the public, forcing Mayor S.M. Velusamy to ask the engineers to construct culvers and complete joints on a war-footing. This was two months ago, when the count stood at 247.

According to Commissioner G. Latha, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) wing officials led by P.A. Ganeshwaran have almost completed the task in that of the 247 works, only 12 are pending as on date. And, 21 works are in progress.

The Corporation will complete the work by December 15, 2013.

Explaining the reasons for the delay, officials say that while constructing the drain, the officials encountered trees, electric poles, water supply pipelines, telephone cables or other obstacles and that delayed the work.

Aside from completing the pending works, the Corporation has also made considerable progress in the storm water drain work in that of the 737 km to be constructed, the civic body has thus far completed 684 km. It will complete the remaining km in the next few weeks.