Date:17/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/17/stories/2008101752780200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli

Collector inspects drainage work

Staff Reporter

Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

CLEAN WORK: Tirunelveli Collector G. Prakash inspecting the underground drainage work at Melapalayam near Palayamkottai on Thursday. —

TIRUNELVELI: District Collector G. Prakash inspected the ongoing underground drainage work at Melapalayam on Thursday as the Corporation is making special efforts to persuade the residents of this backward region to get sewerage connection immediately.

Even as most of the residents of other areas voluntarily came forward to take the underground drainage connection, those in Melapalayam opposed the move, saying that they would have to dig the floor of the house for laying the pipe between the nearest manhole and their toilets. To break the deadlock, the corporation proposed to lay covered drainages via the 3-feet-wide lanes between the houses to connect the manhole and the toilets. As the first covered drainage was ready at Gnaniyarappa Nagar in Melapalayam, Mr. Prakash inspected it in the presence of Corporation Commissioner T. Mohan, Executive Engineer, Tirunelveli Corporation, Narayanan Nair and Assistant Executive Engineer, Melapalayam zone, T. Shanthi.

The Collector expressed satisfaction over the the work. “The narrow lane, which was stinking earlier, has been transformed into a new way connecting the streets besides serving our purpose. It is a good job on the part of the corporation that has ensured cleanliness of this area where people were living in sub-human conditions,” Mr. Prakash observed. Since the corporation has identified 42 such narrow lanes of Melapalayam to lay the specially designed covered drainages, sanitary condition in this area is expected to improve substantially.