CHENNAI: In December 2015, when the city almost drowned due to flooding, areas surrounding the Pallavaram Periya Eri were one of the most affected as almost 90 per cent of the houses submerged. Many residents had to evacuate their homes. Almost four years later, the government authorities and people have not learned any lesson as massive encroachments continue to be a hindrance for natural water flow.
Recently, following the no-objection flag from the PWD to the municipality to restore and rejuvenate the Pallavaram Eri, a sluice gate was built on the edge of the lake to let go of the surplus water. However, the municipality has not built a water channel to carry the excess water to Keelkattalai Eri, the final destination located three kilometres down the radial road.
Instead, the sluice gate directly opens up on Mantri Serene, an apartment near the lake. Locals who have lived there for more than five years say the Pallavaram Eri has a natural water flow, but since encroachments have cropped up over the past 20 years, the municipality is now unable to create a new water channel.
Water channels disappeared In an undated map from the State Department of Survey and Settlement (in picture), a clear water channel can be seen from Pallavaram Eri to Putheri, which is two kilometres away. But currently, there is no proper outlet channel from the Pallavaram Eri except for the newly built sluice gate.
Local activist David Manohar who has lived in the locality for five years said that water from Pallavaram Eri travels to Putheri near Chromepet and from there it reaches the Keelkattalai lake through a natural water channel. “The original size of the channel ranged from 30 feet to 80 feet, but now in many places the channel has disappeared due to encroachments,” he said, adding that constant encroachments over the years have diverted the natural route of the channel and have reduced its breadth to 8 feet.
When Express visited Joy Nagar, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Ganapathi Puram and Thiruvalluvar Nagar in Zamin Pallavaram, it appeared that the channels had become narrow and huge apartments were seen built on water channels, including a big garbage dump yard.Ironically, a street in Ganapathi Puram in Pallavaram named ‘Odai’, which means ‘stream’ in Tamil, has no stream now and only has apartment complexes and houses on both sides.
Similarly, near Aishwarya Nagar in Pallavaram, a seemingly large water channel has been closed up using mud and diverted from its actual route to Putheri, as a Tahsildar office is allegedly built in front of it. The water channel enters the building through the backside and goes to Senthil Nagar, where it disappears before a bio-methanation plant. “The large plant was set up on the channel in 2015 and it is yet to function and yet to be inaugurated,” said Manohar.
Where are the outlets?
One month back, to prevent flooding and make water flow for 3 km from Pallavaram and Chromepet lakes to Keelkattalai lake, the highways department started building culverts beneath the 200-feet radial road. But, the culverts also do not have a proper water inlet and outlet channel yet, with one culvert placed directly outside houses which are located 8-10 feet beneath the radial road. The houses also have narrow entry and exit points to the radial road.
Locals say that the houses have been on a waterbody for ages, and that was the case even during the 2015 floods. “If the culvert starts functioning and water flows beneath the bridge, the houses are at risk as there’s no proper channel yet,” said Chinnaraj S, a resident. Though the residents say they have land deeds, the acquisition, despite it being on a waterbody, remains a question.
The highways department started building 12 culverts from Pallavaram Eri to Keelkattalai Eri at a cost of `7.8 crore. The two culverts under the radial road cost `90 lakh and is nine metres long and three metres wide. “We have identified essential spots beneath the 200-feet road. The side openings will be finished by September. Then the traffic will be diverted on the bridge to dig tunnels to make the culvert operable by October end,” said a highways official.
The official said that the culverts will be connected to stormwater drains which will be built along the radial road for 4 km. When Express visited the points where culverts were being built, there was very little space for outlet drains. Moreover, commercial buildings, apartments, restaurants and marriage halls had encroached the space, blocking the pathway of the ‘proposed’ stormwater drain. A popular gated community near the Prestige Highline Road has allegedly occupied one metre of the three-metre water channel required for the culvert to flow. While the culvert is being built adjacent to the apartment, there was no water channel for the water to flow.
Disconnected departments
Following a complaint on encroachment against the apartment by local activists in August 2018, the Kancheepuram collector, PWD and revenue officials had inspected the spot and marked the encroached area. When Express visited the spot, the marking remained on the wall and a channel was not made yet.
When contacted, municipality officials told Express that they would urge the private entities to do the necessary to build water channels by themselves. The highways department official said all encroachments in its area would be removed when the stormwater drain project along the radial road starts.
Municipality officials told Express that the sluice gate built at the edge would be connected to the stormwater drain built by highways department. “When the stormwater drain work is over, we’ll request the highways department to give a channel to the sluice gate,” said the municipality official. However, locals questioned why natural water channels have not been reclaimed in this `15-crore project. “How can the municipality reduce a natural water channel into a stormwater drain?” questioned Manohar.
In May 2019, Express had reported that around 10 hectares (24.7 acres) of the total 46.16 hectares (114 acres) of the Pallavaram Periya Eri’s expanse has been encroached. According to 2007 municipality records, there were 768 encroachments in the Pallavaram lake. When Express visited the localities around the bund of the Pallavaram Eri, most people did not have land deeds. However, as the municipality had decided to build bunds on the non-encroached parts of the lake, the encroached households escaped scrutiny.
Radial Road expansion stalled
As the formation of height between the radial road and its expansion is uneven, the project has been stalled for the moment.
The radial road will be expanded to six lanes, three on both sides at `25 cr, said a highways official.