CHENNAI: As the skies turned grey over S Kolathur on Sunday, a sense of gloom filled residents. For them, even a short spell of rains like the one they witnessed in the afternoon is a reminder of flooding during the monsoon. With remedial measures promised yet to materialise, residents fear this year’s monsoon is going to be no different.
The Narayanapuram canal, which passes through the area after cutting across the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road at the Keelkattalai signal, is the primary outlet for water which stagnates in the low-lying area. However, the 70-foot canal remains highly encroached upon, impeding the flow of excess water from the Nanmangalam lake to the Pallikaranai marshland.
Following the 2015 December floods, the Public Works Department had religiously marked encroachments for demolition along the entire stretch of the canal. But three years later, these residential buildings continue to dot the canal.
At one particular point, a religious encroachment in Krishna Nagar narrows the canal down to 15 feet and water is forced to find an alternative route along the streets of Raja Nagar, TNPL colony and Kagithapuram.
Further down, residential encroachments have forced the canal to take an abrupt right turn. This also forces water to inundate the streets. “Around 1,200 families reside in this part of S Kolathur and Kagithapuram. They are affected by the overflow of water from the canal and have to venture out during the monsoon by hailing tractors,” said Zahid Hussain Parveez, a resident.
The PWD in November, 2017 brought down commercial encroachments on the canal near the Keelkattalai signal and residential encroachments along the Medavakkam Koot Road, but failed to continue demolishing encroachments on the canal as it proceeds toward the Pallikaranai marshland. When Express contacted the PWD regarding the issue, they claimed that there were legal hurdles. “Some of the encroachers have gone got stay order and so, our hands are tied,” said a PWD official.
Meanwhile, residents approached their MLA Aravind Ramesh with a plea to build a bridge over the canal to help people in the low-lying areas evacuate in case of an emergency. The bridge is nearing completion. “The government has to address the root cause of all our problems — encroachments,” said GV Ramesh, treasurer, BKR Residents Welfare Association.