The growing number of COVID-19 cases in the localities managed by municipalities and panchayats in the southern parts of the city has brought to the fore the neglect in executing regular civic works like cleaning stormwater drains and disinfection of the canals by sanitary workers.
The stormwater drain network meant for preventing flooding has not been desilted during the past month, leading to spread of mosquitoes, complained residents in Pallavaram. V. Santhanam, a resident welfare activist of Chromepet, rued the dumping of sewage into the stormwater drains and added that officials of the Pallavaram Municipality had not taken action against offenders.
Several stretches of the stormwater drain network including the open canal flowing in Gandhi Nagar, streets of Radha Nagar, and from MIT to Nemilichery in Hasthinapuram, which flowed into the Veeraraghavan Eri, were clogged plastic, Mr. Santhanam said. He said that despite commissioning of an underground drainage network, wastewas being illegally dumped into the open stormwater drains.
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Residents in Pammal Municipality also complained about lack of desilting in Shankar Nagar during the past month.
However, a senior municipal official said desilting of stormwater drains would be undertaken in the next few days.