CHENNAI: Devastation caused by Michaung has forced WRD officials to take immediate steps to restore canals and waterways that had vanished from Mudichur, Nemmilicherry and Old Perungalathur in Tambaram to prevent calamities. According to sources, poor maintenance of waterbodies and canals had also added to the woes of residents.
Saravanan B, a resident, said, “Tiruneermalai near Pamal witnessed unusual inundation for three days. Tiruneermalai lake holds water downstream from Chrompet and carries it to the Adyar through canals. These surplus canals have disappeared over the years due to rise in residential spaces. The lone existing canal, ‘Naatu Kaalvai’, has also severely shrunk. Excess water from the canal now overflows into the streets, due to lack of sufficient depth and absence of retaining walls. The ‘kaalvai’ should be desilted and g canals revived.”
Though the PWD proposed to erect retaining walls along the ‘kaalvai’ in 2020 , residents said no progress was made.
All the worst-affected wards in Tambaram corporation are located in Perungalathur zone (IV), Peerkaranai being one of them. Ganesh, a resident of Sriram Nagar in Peerkaranai, said, “This cyclone is worse than the 2015 rain. Water came up to chest level in my house.”
Wards 54, 55, 56, 61 and 62 and adjoining Mudichur and Varadharajapuram are also among the worst-hit areas.
Tambaram corporation had carried SWD work for 21.26 km at a cost of Rs 68.34 crore in the last two years. But, only 1.6 km of SWD work at a cost of Rs 7.23 crore has been completed in Perungalathur zone.
Corporation officials have cited low-lying nature of regions around Perungalathur and Mudichur as the main reason for the delay in laying SWDs.
CTO Nagar in Varadharajapuram witnessed inundation till Friday. Saraswathi, a resident, said, “I have lost all my belongings and appliances. We had to evacuate our house as water came up to chest level.” An official in the civic body said the WRD has proposed to deepen macro canals and restore the old link canals.
“The Pappan canal, which runs through Perungalathur and joins the Adyar, will be deepened. SWD works will be carried out after this and the missing link canals rebuilt in the next phase. Another pond will be created on three acres retrieved from encroachments in Goodwill Nagar,” he said.
Nemillichery in Tambaram also suffered heavy inundation as Moovarsampattu lake overflowed. “Several of the waterways in Tambaram are not properly desilted,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident.
The WRD has proposed to construct two separate canals, one connecting Nanmangalam lake to Kilkattai lake at a cost of Rs 88 crore and another cut-and-cover canal from Moovarasampettai to Madipakkam lake at the cost of Rs 36 crore.
A senior official said a proposal has been sent to the government for approval and work will be carried out in phases.