COIMBATORE: To prevent water logging at the Lanka Corner Railway underpass during monsoon, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has began constructing a channel from the subway to Valankulam to drain stagnant water.
The Lanka Corner railway underpass is one of the vital junctions in the city, connecting motorists from Town Hall with Coimbatore junction at the State Bank Road and the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) at Tiruchy Road. There are two one-way subways at the junction which is used by motorists.
The vehicles had to take long detours as the subway got inundated during the rainy season and several incidents of two-wheelers, cars, and even ambulances getting stuck in the inundated railway underpass have been reported earlier.
The civic body used to deploy high-powered motor pump-installed trucks at the junction to suck out the stagnated rainwater. Several complaints and petitions were sent to the civic body and the district administration to find a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem.
Coimbatore Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati along with the CCMC Commissioner M Prathap inspected the Lanka Corner subway few months ago, following which it was decided to build a cross-drain to sort out the issue.
Sources said, “The civic body is planning to build a sump with a capacity of storing one to two lakh litres of water under the traffic island located between the two subways. With this, the rainwater will enter the sump, and water stagnation in the subways can be avoided. The overall construction works will amount to Rs 1.5 crore.”
Speaking to TNIE, Prathap said, “Currently, there’s already a channel that runs from CMCH to Valankulam. After constructing a drain near the CMCH, we shall be widening the existing channel. The works are likely to be completed in a month. The sump works will begin soon after drains are constructed.”
