The Hindu : Front Page : Immediate flood prevention measures sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005

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Immediate flood prevention measures sought

Special Correspondent

Federation of service bodies threatens stir, plans to move High Court

TIRUCHI: Consumers, service and residents welfare associations of Tiruchi have come together in seeking the implementation of permanent measures, including removal of encroachments over drainages, to protect the city from recurrent floods.

The Federation of Service Organisations, comprising about a dozen associations, has threatened to launch an agitation and move the High Court if no official action was forthcoming within a month.

"Given the tremendous suffering and hardship caused to the residents every time, Government agencies should come up with a technically viable plan to provide permanent protection against repeated floods," the federation members said addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

Mere announcements

Prevention plans announced in the wake of the 1999 floods have remained mere announcements till date, the members pointed out.

Citing the "indiscriminate encroachments" over water courses and drainages as a major reason for the frequent flooding of residential colonies in the city, the federation demanded immediate steps to clear the 24 drainage channels through which surplus waters had to drain out.

The channels have been heavily encroached upon and some have even vanished. It was imperative that all the channels were restored to their original condition so as to ensure an effective drainage network.

Despite a directive from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the authorities have failed to evict the encroachments from water courses, the federation charged.

Remove shoals

The organisation also called for steps to remove shoals on the Coleroon river at the inlet point at the Upper Anaicut and suggested that the Government could allow sand quarrying on the river so as to clear the silt deposits.

Provision of additional vents and shutters at the Pulivalam, Puthur and Kazhuvan Kallarai weirs would also help in managing the flood discharges better. The maximum permissible discharge into the Cauvery from the Upper Anaicut should be restricted to 30,000 cusecs so as prevent any overflow in the city and Srirangam.

Token fast

"We, along with flood affected residents, have decided to observe a token fast on the Republic Day if the authorities failed to initiate appropriate action on our demands by then," the federation convenor, M. Sekaran said.

The federation would also move the High Court if the encroachments were not removed within a month, he added.

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