Incomplete stormwater drain in Madipakkam poses threat to motorists, turns open dump site
The Hindu
An incomplete stormwater drain in Ram Nagar (South) in Madipakkam poses a risk for motorists and doubles as an open dumping site, according to residents.
An incomplete stormwater drain in Ram Nagar (South) in Madipakkam under Zone 13 within Greater Chennai Corporation is posing a risk for motorists and doubles as an open dumping site, according to residents.
The proposed stormwater drain length for this area, along with Karpagambal Nagar, was 250 metres of which 40 metres is yet to be constructed, and the work is to begin from January 29. “The work, which is a part of the project linking drains to the Kosasthalaiyar Basin, was halted from early December before rains began. The permission to restart work was availed of only recently. So far, 210 metres on the 17th Main Road has been completed and the rest will be done in a week,” an assistant engineer in the Zone said.
The drain on the 17th Main Road in Ram Nagar (South), close to Balaji Nagar turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, as it is clogged by plastic waste and muck, residents complained on X (formerly Twitter). They had filed complaints regarding this location since December 2023.
With the road nearby also damaged and the drain left open, it is unsafe for passersby and motorists.
The sanitary officer (SO) of the Zone mentioned that the area was cleared on January 24 after complaints. “To avoid further dumping we will inform animators of the Zone to raise awareness among the public in the area to avoid discarding waste in public spaces,” the SO said.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J.Radhakrishnan said that the local authorities such as the Zonal Officer, Joint Engineer (JE), Sanitary Inspectors (SI) etc., must identify such unauthorised dumping spots and ensure that they are cleared immediately. “We are planning to regularly desilt the stormwater drains throughout the year, since we detected frequent clogging during Cyclone Michaung in December 2023,” he added.