SOS call ahead of the monsoon

Residents of Venkatarathinam Nagar in Adyar want the drain network desilted soon

With the North-East monsoon in the offing, residents of Venkatarathinam Nagar in Adyar have issued an SOS call, seeking that Greater Chennai Corporation clean and desilt the soak pits and stormwater drains without any delay. They have also requested that the damaged stormwater drains be repaired, which include replacing manholes that have broken lids and ears.

As per the natural course, rainwater from the drain network on Venkatrathinam Nagar should flow through Kasturba Nagar, Venkatrathinam Nagar, Indira Nagar First Avenue and Indira Nagar Second Avenue to Buckingham Canal, but due to blocks and encroachments in stormwater drain network at the intersection of First and Second Avenue, Indira Nagar, rainwater does not flow into the Buckingham Canal, which results in stretches getting flooded.

Shanthi TS Kamalsekaran, social activist and a member of Venkata Rathinam Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, says: “If they are not able to remove the encroachments, steps should be taken to clean the soak pits, desilt and remove water from the manholes through sucker machines. The process is not being followed due to cemented grills on soak pits, and damaged manholes lids.”