The Hindu : Front Page : Stormwater drains exposed

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Sunday, Oct 29, 2006
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Stormwater drains exposed

Staff Reporter

Complaints of water seepage elicit poor response

— PHOTO: S. THANTHONI

NO JOY RIDE: These parents use an improvised float to carry their child at Kargil Nagar on Saturday.

CHENNAI: Rain lashing the city under the influence of the northeast monsoon has exposed the lack of maintenance of stormwater drains in several parts by the civic body. Water has seeped into several houses.

Residents of Church Lane, Ritherdon Road, Vepery, said that water logging even after light showers was a perennial problem in their area. They have to wade through 2 to 3feet of water stagnated on the road and houses that were three decades old suffered the brunt as they were at a lower level. The lack of stormwater drain has aggravated the problem. To add to the woes of the residents, drainage pipes have also got choked.

Residents of Virugambakkam, including Thangal Street and Balambal Nagar, complained of inundation. After several representations to the Corporation, the road was raised without provision for water to drain. The road has now turned slippery as it was not blacktopped.

In T. Nagar, floodwater entered homes on Masilamani Street and Raja Street behind Pondy Bazaar as also Anandan Street off North Usman Road.

A resident of Masilamani Street, who called the complaint cell of the Chennai Corporation was not provided a complaint number but only assurance of action. But it did not come till evening, she said, adding that people were wading through one and a half to two feet of water.

In Ward No. 63 (Zone IV), a resident of Villivakkam called the Corporation's emergency number and got a number to complain about blocked chutes, but nobody attended to the problem.

Several areas falling under Ambattur municipality such as Ram Nagar, Vijayalakshmipuram, Padi Kuppam Road, Ambattur Industrial Estate and Korattur were also flooded. G.Natarajan of Ram Nagar said the area was heavily inundated due to lack of maintenance of stormwater drains and its disposal points.

Water stagnated in VOC Nagar, Secretariat Colony and Kumaran Street.

Patchwork

Ambattur municipal authorities said they would carry out patchwork on potholed roads such as the Mogappair-Ambattur Estate Road and Valaiyapathy road in Mogappair as also Korattur Central Avenue. The canals in and around Ambattur, including those at Padi Pudu Nagar and Mogappair Eri Scheme, have been cleaned up.

The officials inspected the bus depot and roads in Ambattur industrial estate and baled out water on Saturday.

Slippery roads

In Valasaravakkam despite repeated appeals from residents, stormwater drains were not cleaned.

Though tenders were called for in February to relay roads, only gravel was laid. "The roads are slippery. Both two-wheelers and four-wheelers skid in slush," said P.S. Srinivasan, treasurer of Valasai People's Association.

Kargil Nagar in north Chennai was covered with two feet of water.

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