Midway through last year, the Avadi Corporation completed the construction of a concrete drain to carry surplus water from Vilinjiyambakkam lake to Cooum river in Sekkadu. The facility had been constructed after a series of representations by residents of VGN Springfield Phase One, off Sekkadu Main Road, Kamaraj Nagar in Avadi. However, residents point out the drain is not going to make any difference and this monsoon too they expect flooding of their locality.
Residents find the new drain narrow considering the huge overflow of water expected from the lake.
Crofton Garden & Springfield Kosmos Owners Welfare Association has taken up this issue with the Avadi Corporation.
“The drain is not wide enough. Further, the drain meanders through a landscape marked by encroachments. Hence, the drain will be rendered ineffective,” says J Stephen Raj, the Association’s treasurer.
Residents note that the entire colony comes under sheets of water during the rainy season.
VGN Springfield Phase One in Avadi under sheets of water following the rains during the north-east monsoon in 2021. Photos: special arrangement
“There are instances of water entering houses and people having to leave their houses temporarily. Vehicles had been damaged. Restoring normality had entailed additional expenditure. Snakes, scorpions, crabs and fish can be spotted in the flooded water. To avoid any untoward incident, power would be suspended. However, there have been a few instances of cows getting electrocuted,” says Stephen.
With the onset of north-east monsoon a few months away, the Association wants the Avadi Corporation to have a stop-gap arrangement in place.
“In the oncoming north-east monsoon, even with light to moderate rainfall, VGN colony is likely to suffer severe flooding. Because the waterbodies around the colony have been interconnected. Provisions have been made for surplus water from Sekkadu lake, Thiruninravur lake, Palavedu lake, Pattabiram lake, Kavarapalayam lake to flow into Vilinjiyambakkam lake and this in turn will overflow into our residential colony and cause flooding. An official from Avadi Corporation cautioned us about this possibility last week,” adds Stephen.
Another issue plaguing VGN Springfield Phase One neighbourhood is sewage overflow.
“Residents of other areas in Sekkadu let out sewage into the stormwater drains in VGN colony, which results in contamination of the groundwater. The borewells of two under-construction houses in VGN colony bear proof of water contamination. There is an underground drainage network in those areas and there is also a sewage pumping station. However, for reasons unknown to us, the drainage network is not in operation,” says M. Rajaram, another resident of the VGN neighbourhood.
VGN Springfield Phase One in Avadi under sheets of water following the rains during the north-east monsoon in 2021. Photos: special arrangement
VGN Colony is also reportedly plagued by poor illumination
“Nearly 700 families reside in this layout, but the Corporation has not provided street-lights. The existing lights were provided by the property developer and none of them is functioning now. With the streets poorly-lit, theft of motorcycles, bicycles and construction materials happens. It is quite unsafe during rainy season when the streets are waterlogged. Also, Sekkadu Main Road, the approach road to VGN Colony is poorly-lit. Most of the days, the main road is plunged in darkness, as the street-lights do not burn. There have been accidents, the latest occurring on July 19 around 8 p.m. when a motorcyclist was hit by a car and was rushed to the hospital,” says P. Ajoy Kumar, another resident of VGN colony.
The Association can be reached at 97894 15103
