In its efforts to restore the Cooum river, the Water Resources Department has closed outlets of stormwater drains (SWD) along Harrington Road, Chetpet, to prevent the entry of sewage into the waterway. However, residents fear that it will lead to inundation during monsoon.
The department desilted the stretch of the Cooum abutting the area and raised the bund level as part of the Integrated Cooum River Restoration project. In the process, the SWD outlets were also closed to prevent discharge of sewage.
While the WRD officials say that the sewage was polluting the river, the residents are concerned that it would block the rainwater entering into the waterway, leading to flooding at the time of monsoon.
Prakash Thangavelu, a resident of First Avenue, Harrington Road, said that SWD outlets from roads abutting the river have been closed for a month now. “Harrington Road is usually free of water stagnation. But, rainwater stagnated in parts of the road even after a short rain spell last month,” he said.
Rainwater discharge
Residents want the department to open the outlets into the river for better discharge of rainwater. K. Nadarajah, member, Harrington Road Residents Association, said water collected in the stormwater drain network was conveyed to the river through the avenues, including Second Avenue. But, the bund level has been raised, a compound wall has been built along the river and the outlets have been closed with soil. “We have represented to the officials to have a provision for rainwater to reach the river,” he added.
Responding to the residents’ complaints, officials of the WRD said such outlets were found to be discharging sewage into the river and were closed to control pollution. The department would permit rainwater discharge into the waterway after inspection. “We want to check the area after a rain spell and ensure that sewage does not flow into the river. Residents said they would also represent the issue to Metrowater. They have also asked permission to plant saplings along the bund for a distance of one kilometre. This proposal too is under scrutiny,” said an official.
The department has completed nearly 75% of the work to widen the river on the 9-km stretch between Napier bridge and Chetpet railway bridge. The river is now 60-100 metres wide. Work in some portions are still pending as encroachments have to be removed in places, including in Chintadripet.
“We would be able to take up the work on the remaining stretch up to Maduravoyal only after removal of nearly 2,000 encroached structures,” the official said.