Every monsoon, residents of Thanikachalam Street at Dasarathapuram in Saligramam have to wade through knee-deep water. In the absence of stormwater drains (SWDs), rainwater remains stagnant in the street. In contrast, an existing SWD facility was widened at the nearby Satyamoorthy Street, early this year as part of Integrated Storm Water Drain (ISWD) project by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).
Residents of Thanikachalam Street say that stagnant rainwater promotes mosquito breeding. “During rainy days, drivers of autorickshaws and school vans refuse to ply through this stretch. As water remains stagnant, we are unable to see the potholes on the road,” says S. Venukumar, a resident of Vadapalani. Thanikachalam Street witnesses heavy traffic flow as it connects CMBT and Koyambedu Wholesale Market via Vadapalani. “A storm-water drain will be constructed in Thanikachalam Street at the earliest,” says a GCC official.
