The ‘buzz’ on the banks of Otteri Nullah

Rain water carrier Otteri Nullah in Chennai has its banks accumulated with garbage

From Kellys junction, Otteri Nullah is just a whiff away, running under a bridge on Medawakkam Tank Road.

Residents complain this section of the Otteri Nullah possesses the consistency of cake batter. Garbage accumulates in the bed of the waterway and on the banks. Inky-black, the water suggests considerable pollution. There would be some consolation if it flowed.

Prakash H Lulla, patron of Kilpauk Residents Welfare Association, observes: “Residents of Purasawalkam, Kellys, Kilpauk, Ayanavaram, Perambur, Shenoy Nagar and ICF area are all affected by this dirty water. Due to stagnation, mosquito breeding is immense.” As Otteri Nullah is a major rainwater carrier for the afore-mentioned areas, finally draining into the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge, garbage accumulation in any part of its course could interfere with its ability to dispense this duty effectively.