Residents of KAMPERS have sent a signature petition to the Kancheepuram district Collector, seeking design changes to the stormwater drains (SWD) that have been constructed on the Sholinganallur-Medavakkam Road.
KAMPERS, which includes Kailash Nagar, Mookambigai Nagar, Perumal Nagar, Rathinam Nagar, Sairam Nagar, Shanthi Nagar, Gurudev Colony, Indira Priyadarshini Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Prabhu Nagar, and Anandammal Nagar, is located on this stretch.
KAMPERS, located in Perumbakkam, has more than 2,000 residents.
According to residents, earlier, before and after the rains, rainwater would flow naturally through the culverts on Sholinganallur-Medavakkam Road towards the Sholinganallur and Pallikaranai wetlands and Okkiyam Maduvu through water channels. But, not anymore.
“With stormwater drains having been built over the culverts, and above the road level, rainwater from residential colonies does not drain. The reason: stormwater drains have not been correspondingly constructed in the colonies,” says K. Sarangadass, president, KAMPERS Welfare Association, Perumbakkam.
A one-and-a-half-feet wide canal has been constructed near the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Perumbakkam, but that is not wide enough, say residents.
“Steps must be taken at the earliest to construct SWDs in KAMPERS and lower the height of the drains on the main road. The drains in the residential colonies should be connected to the main drains on the eastern side of Sholinganallur-Medavakkam Road towards Medavakkam. The constructed and main drains should be connected to the canal, through a culvert. Also, steps must be taken to widen the canal,” says N. Nalla Sivam, treasurer, KAMPERS, said.
The work should be carried out before the onset of North-East Monsoon, the residents added.
During the December Deluge in 2015, most parts of KAMPERS were considerably inundated. At present, rainwater, mixed with drainage, flows into the drains from Medavakkam and Perumbakkam.