DHARMAPURI: The summer showers over the past week which eased the heatwave have exposed the poor drainage system in Dharmapuri town. Waterlogging persisted in parts of the town till early Thursday morning
Speaking to the TNIE, B Sugumar from Dharmapuri said, "The roads near Weaver colony and the stadium faced waterlogging. Drainages are almost non-existent. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians are the worst hit. We had to step on murky sewage to reach our homes. It is disheartening that the municipality has failed in ensuring drainage."
Another resident, K Muthamil, said, "Most of the Dharmapuri-Salem state highway, especially the road between the TNSTC depot and the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital, had significant waterlogging that caused severe traffic jams.
While most of the municipal area lacks drainage, the existing drains are blocked. So stormwater entered the roads. We need better rains before the monsoon, or we would face severe issues during the rainy season."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the Dharmapuri Municipality, they said, "We are undertaking works to improve the storm drains. We have already completed the work on the SV road; on the roads between Ulavar Sandhai and Post office road; in Bharathipuram; and in other places. Soon, the entire 33 wards would be covered. The waterlogging was not significant as water had drained off soon after the rains."
Dharmapuri district as a whole recorded a rainfall of about 99.5 millimetre on Thursday. Palacode recorded 51 mm, followed by Dharmapuri, 25 mm.