Date:22/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/22/stories/2006112217050300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ambattur lake overflows into industrial estate

Priscilla Jebaraj

Encroachers opened weir, leading to flooding: official

CHENNAI : With Sunday night's rain, industries in the North Phase of Ambattur Industrial Estate have begun to relive last year's nightmare. For the first time this season, the Ambattur lake has overflowed into the estate. Public Works Department (PWD) chief engineer P. Mahalingam said that encroachers on the lakebed had forced open a weir, leading to the flooding of the estate.

Roads and factories around the Godrej factory on the western side of the North Phase were under a foot of water on Monday. About half a foot of water flowed onto the road to the Pattaravakkam railway station. The floods affected electricity lines and transformers, cutting power supply to several units near the NEPC compound.

Last year, the North Phase was inundated in waist-deep water when encroachers breached the bunds of the lake. To prevent a repeat this time round, the PWD had carried out desilting of the stormwater drains and the main railway canal leading to the Korattur lake.

However, Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) president K. Pichumani said that while the canal was cleared, it was not deepened by three feet as planned. Also, since the Korattur lake has not been desilted, not much can be done if it fills up.

Mr. Pichumani deplored that the work was not completed during the dry season, calling for emergency measures. "All we can hope is that this year, damage will be limited compared to last year, because of the desilting work that has been done. We may have flooding for a week or 10 days, rather than 45 days last year," said AIEMA general secretary R. Sridharan, whose Spico Printing Inks lies in the North Phase near the Pattaravakkam railway station.

His compound has been flooded, since the desilting in the area was interrupted by the rains.

Mr. Sridharan said there was a clear improvement in the situation on the eastern side of the North Phase, where desilting work has been completed.

The NHAI flyover construction has hampered the work in the western areas that are now flooded, he said.