VELLORE: With the rise in water levels in the Palar river following recent rains, the Kalinjur lake spread over 80 acres in Katpadi began overflowing on Friday evening, flooding over 30 houses in the low-lying areas of VG Rao Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Balaji Nagar, and Gopalapuram. While VG Rao Nagar and Bharathi Nagar experienced knee-deep water, the situation in Balaji Nagar and Gopalapuram was slightly better. Corporation workers were seen clearing debris from stormwater drains on Saturday morning, and officials inspected the lake and took steps to address the issue. However, residents continued to struggle with the flooding.
At Balaji Nagar, K Parvathy, who lives near the stormwater drain that carried the lake’s overflowing water, was seen collecting floodwater entering her house and pouring it back into the drain. Speaking to TNIE, she said, “Water began entering our house on Friday night. We immediately moved valuable items to the top floor. We also used sandbags and slabs to prevent further flooding.”
At Gopalapuram 3rd Cross Street, residents used their own motor pumps to remove floodwater, which had mixed with drainage water. Some residents, speaking anonymously, complained that no corporation officials had visited their area to address the issue.
Streets in VG Rao Nagar remained submerged under knee-deep water, making daily activities difficult for residents. When contacted, a corporation official said that Commissioner P Janaki Raveendran, along with other officials, had inspected the lake on Saturday morning. She has requested that the spot where Palar river flows to the Kalinjur lake should be closed.
“The stormwater drain near the lake was originally a 40-foot-wide drain. However, over the past 20 to 25 years, as the lake remained dry, around 30 feet of it has been encroached upon and converted into a road leading to Mathi Nagar and Aruppu Medu. Only 10 feet of the drain remains functional, causing excess water to spill beyond its capacity. Although warnings were issued to residents about the potential overflow, the volume of water was more than expected. The issue will be resolved today,” the official added. When asked about residents of Gopalapuram having to use their own pumps to remove water, he explained, “There are only two pumps in each zone. The available pumps for this area are already deployed in flooded regions.”
A WRD official acknowledged that neighbourhoods close to the lake are situated on floodplains, making construction in these areas inadvisable. However, officials did not comment on how permissions were granted for housing in these zones.
Meanwhile, children from Kalinjur and nearby areas were seen playing and bathing in the overflowing waters, with some even swimming in the Kalinjur lake. When asked about the safety of those playing in the water, the WRD official said that warnings had been issued since Friday evening. “We have placed barriers at the lake to prevent swimming in deeper sections,” the official added.
He further mentioned that there is a proposal to close the drain in the ongoing 30 crore project to convert this lake and the nearby Dharapadavedu lake into a recreation centre, and that it will be done in the coming months. “Once that is done water will not spill out,” the official added.