With the Northeast monsoon just a few months away, residents of Krishna Nagar and adjoining areas are keeping their fingers crossed as there are no signs of implementation of any of the flood mitigation measures promised by the government.
Krishna Nagar and nearby residential areas often bear the brunt of floods during the Northeast monsoon forcing the government to make announcements regarding the implementation of projects to avoid floods in the future. With barely three months left for advent of the NE monsoon, nothing on the ground seems to be happening.
“Every time when our area gets inundated, we hear about grand plans on flood mitigation measures implemented in low-lying areas. But when it starts raining, our situation remains the same. Now when we see the heavy rain that lashed other parts of the country, we are getting worried about our fate when the NE monsoon arrives in October-November,” said R. Rajasekhar, a resident of Krishna Nagar.
The government has to start the cleaning of minor drains and de-silting of Karuvadikuppam and Uppar drains now itself. The usual pattern of allotting the work just a few days before the monsoon should be done away with, said a retired government staff residing in Rainbow Nagar. He said there had been plans to provide permanent flood mitigation measures in Krishna Nagar and adjoining places under the Smart City project. The government should fast track these schemes, he said.
According to an official, the Irrigation wing of the Public Works Department had already submitted a detailed plan to put up pump sets and silt chambers at seven places to drain the water to Karuvadikuppam and Uppar canals. The setting up of permanent pump sets would reduce detention period of stormwater accumulation.
The pump sets would be provided with generators for making them work during power outages due to rain. A proposal had been submitted to install the pump sets near the Karuvadikuppam drain, Krishna Nagar Main Road, Rainbow Nagar 8th Cross, Surguru Hotel, Vasantham Nagar and near OHT on ECR. The plan is to pump the water to Karuvadikuppam and Uppar drains, the official said. “We are waiting for the approval to start the work,” he added.
