Residents of Mudichur seek restoration of culvert

At present, the culvert is under a tar surface, resulting in flow of rainwater into residential localities

TAMBARAM, CHENNAI, 28/08/2018: For Down Town: Storm water drain connecting to Seekanam Eri is closed at Manimangalam in Chennai on Tuesday. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Residents of Nawab Habibullah Nagar, Mudichur, have requested the local administration and State government agencies to take steps to restore a culvert at the intersection of Manimangalam-Sriperumbudur Road and Mudichur Road. They have also demanded that a park be developed in the locality.

M.R. Sai Sampath Kumar, a social activist, says, “Years ago, when the State Highways Department bitumen-topped the road at the intersection of Manimangalam-Sriperumbudur Road and Mudichur Road, the officials closed the culvert at the intersection. The culvert carried rainwater from Manimangalam and Sriperumbudur Road, through Mudichur Road, into Mudichur lake.

As the culvert was closed, during the northeast monsoon in 2015, 2016 and 2017, excess rainwater from Manimangalam, Sriperumbudur Road and nearby areas flowed in the reverse direction, flooding residential areas.

Residents say representations to the officials of State Highways Department, Water Resources Department, Mudichur Village Panchayat, Kancheepuram District Collectorate, Director of Revenue Administration, and the CM’s Cell have gone in vain. They demand that stormwater drains be constructed and steps taken to drain rainwater into the culvert.

‘Extend rainwater channel’

Residents say the rainwater channel on Manimangalam-Sriperumbudur Road, towards Sriperumbudur, should be extended till Pappan Canal, which connects Adyar river through water channels on Varadharajapuram and Outer Ring Road. Now, the rainwater channel in question is unable to drain rainwater into the canal as it has been encroached upon. Following the 2015 December deluge, encroachments that had to be removed were marked by rain damage nodal officers, in the presence of Kancheepuram District Collectorate officials. However, the removal of encroachments never happened.

This action should be carried out soon and stormwater drains built on Mudichur Road, starting from Lakshmi Nagar, through Mudichur bus stop and Lingam Nagar. A Kancheepuram District Collectorate official, says, “To prevent flooding, we are coordinating with the Revenue Department in demarcating the boundaries of Pappan Canal. Once this work is done, the process of removing encroachments will begin.”