The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Canal desilting work on to tackle monsoon crisis

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Sunday, Oct 01, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Canal desilting work on to tackle monsoon crisis

K. Lakshmi

Project covers railway track from Ambattur to Korattur

PRECAUTIONARY MOVE: The canal along the Pattaravakkam railway station was being cleaned by the Public Works Department in view of oncoming monsoon. — Photo: S.Thanthoni

CHENNAI : The ongoing desilting work of the canal along the railway track from the Ambattur railway station to Korattur has brought relief to residents of the neighbouring areas and several small-scale industries.

The long-pending demand for desilting the roughly four-km stretch from Ambattur to Korattur is being fulfilled by the Public Works Department since Wednesday as part of a project to clean the city waterways to prevent inundation during the monsoon.

A PWD official said that the canal was being desilted after a gap of three years. Under the Rs.10-lakh scheme, work on the stretch from Ambattur to the SIDCO Industrial Estate was nearing completion.

A visit to the area revealed that a part of the canal covered with dense undergrowth was being cleaned manually and by machines along the Pattaravakkam railway station.

The canal runs along three railway stations — Ambattur, Pattaravakkam and Korattur. Besides residential clusters in and around Ambattur, Pattaravakkam, Bharath Nagar, Gnanamurthy Nagar and Korattur, several small-scale industries located in the north phase of the SIDCO Industrial Estate would benefit from the desilting of the canal. Residents recalled the floods in Ambattur last year when they had to wade through knee-deep water that had spilled over onto the roads as the canal overflowed.

Commuters could not reach railway stations, especially the one at Pattaravakkam as the access roads were completely submerged in water.

It was at the inaugural meeting of the new municipal block here that R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways, had formally announced that the desilting of the canal would be taken up shortly.

K. Pichumani, president of the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers' Association, said the open stormwater drains along the interior roads of the north and south phase of the estate were being cleaned by the association.

He said the entire estate was blanketed with water and sewage during heavy showers last year.

Access to interior portions of the SIDCO Industrial Estate was virtually impossible as they were inundated with knee-deep water.

The association has taken the initiative to co-ordinate the desilting process as the area was largely populated with industries, he added.

The officials assured that the desilting work would be completed by October 15.

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