All canals to be desilted ahead of monsoon, says Chennai Mayor

Council passes resolution to demolish the Amma Canteen built along the Mambalam Canal in Ward 117; another canteen in Ward 175 will also be demolished along with dilapidated buildings in the Adyar zone

Mayor R. Priya and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan presiding over the monthly Corporation council meeting at Ripon Buildings on Friday. | Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

All canals in the city will be desilted ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon, said Mayor R. Priya.

Responding to councillors whodemanded greater preparedness for the monsoon, Ms. Priya told the Council on Friday that the Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru had ordered officers to desilt all canals as part of the monsoon preparedness. A councillor pointed to civic issues related to Captain Cotton Canal in the neighbourhoods of north Chennai during the recent rain. The civic body will demolish buildings along the canals to improve monsoon preparedness, she said.

The Council passed a resolution to demolish an Amma Canteen built along the Mambalam Canal during the AIADMK regime in Ward 117 in Thiru Vi Ka Kudiyirupppu. The ward committee of Teynampet zone passed a resolution on May 12 in this regard.

The DMK-led council in the resolution on Friday claimed that the Amma Canteen was built by the previous government by encroaching on the Mambalam Canal. Accordingto the resolution, the canteen will be merged with another one in Ward 113 in R.K. Puram so that the beneficiaries were not affected. The staff of the canteen will also be transferred accordingly. Dilapidated buildings, including Amma Canteen in Ward 175 in Adyar zone, will be demolished ahead of the monsoon, she said.

‘Coordination needed’

Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan said the irrigation department was building a cut-and-cover system in various parts of the city as part of monsoon preparedness. “We need to improve coordination among the agencies. We will take action against contractors responsible for damaging the roads,” he said. The Commissioner stressed the need for coordination among agencies for monsoon preparedness on roads where development projects had been taken up.

“The officials of Metrowater have been advised to take action whenever councillors or residents flagged any civic issue. We will monitor if action is taken to resolve civic issues caused by line agencies that dig up roads,” said Mr. Radhakrishnan.

Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumar said a meeting with zonal chairpersons would be held next month to improve coordination among agencies.