TIRUCHY: While the city corporation has been undertaking desilting works in storm water drains at various places in the city, the JK Nagar Extension area that faced heavy waterlogging last monsoon is yet to get any attention from the authorities, rue residents. They raise concerns over the Kottapattu Periyakulam - a pond in the locality - again suffering a breach during the rains this year due to storm
water drain woes.
Last year, the overflowing water from the beached pond led to inundation of around 40 houses in the locality and near the Anna Science Centre-Planetarium. Urging the corporation to take necessary steps to avert such a situation again, J Thirugnanam, the president of the locality's residents’ association, said,
"The storm water from RVS Nagar, RS Puram, Gandhi Nagar, JK Nagar, Wireless Road, and nearby areas reach the Kottapattu Periyakulam through a narrow storm water channel that runs through our area. The corporation has to widen this channel during the desilting drive. Otherwise, the water flowing through the narrow channel would overflow during rainy season and affect the residents in our locality. Similarly, there were three channels to carry the excess water from Kottapattu Periyakulam but now, there is only one channel to carry the water from Kottapattu Periyakulam to Mavadikulam (another pond). The other two
channels were levelled and encroached upon by some residents. We hope the corporation would look into the issue. Besides this, some streets too do not have storm water drains. The corporation has to construct storm water drains at such places."
S Manikandan, another resident, said, "We hope the corporation will start work to improve the storm water system once the work at the main road is completed. Or else, there will be waterlogging this monsoon too."
When enquired, senior corporation officials said the issue will be taken up and steps will be taken to improve the storm water management in the locality.