Plea to fence the canal

High sidewalls have to be raised on certain stretches of the pavement along Southern Sector Inner Ring Road, which connects Velachery and Adambakkam. Alternatively, fences can be erected. This is plea of residents of a section of Velachery.

These sections of the pavement run alongside Veerangal Odai, and they sport low side walls, or none at all.

During the morning and evening rush hour, many MRTS commuters take this pavement, as the road connects to the Velachery MRTS station.

Making matters worse, the surface of the pavement is slippery, especially during rains.

Veerangal Odai receives rainwater from Guindy, Velachery (West), and Nanganallur through a natural course as well as through stormwater drains. The canal drains the rainwater through water channels into the sea.

“People sit on the low walls and chat; and some may be standing near the walls and peering into their mobile phones. Besides, the pavement is occupied by many vendors selling tempered glass. Mobile refreshment stalls also take up good portion of the pavement, forcing pedestrians to walk close to the low walls,” says S. Arun, a college professor and a resident of Velachery.

On the section of Southern Sector Inner Ring Road near the Adambakkam Railway Station, for a few metres, fences have been put up as a safety measure. This provision has to be extended to the sections that abut Veerangal Odai, say residents.

Besides, tree branches have to be pruned; the overgrown branches block the street lights, residents point out.

Efforts to contact the authorities concerned in the Water Resources Department proved futile.