Residents of Madambakkam have requested the Water Resources Department (WRD) of the Public Works Department to take steps to remove encroachments from a rainwater channel, located between Karanur Eri and Kuthanur Eri.
The channel is within the limits of Kundrathur Ooratchi Ondriyam. It is choked with garbage and the height of the outlet channel of Kuthanur Eri is higher than the inlet channel of Adyar Eri. As a result, excess rainwater flows into Manickapuram residential area, instead of flowing into Adyar river.
The height of the channels varies as the height of the bunds are increasing gradually. Normally, the bunds of a waterbody will be raised and strengthened after desilting and deepening the waterbody. However, encroachers have removed the soil from the bunds to increase the height of the bunds near their houses to prevent flooding of their homes,” says D. Suresh Babu, president, Manickapuram Residents Welfare Association (MRWA).
“Whenever it rains, knee-deep water stagnates on the stretch for nearly three weeks, putting a great inconvenience to residents. As a temporary measure, sandbags have been placed between the channels to prevent flooding of residential colony. The 100ft rainwater channel has reduced drastically to just five feet due to encroachments. Repeated representations to the Kancheepuram district Collectorate have gone in vain,” adds Suresh Babu