Five special teams to monitor waterlogging in Coimbatore roads

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) identified five hot spots which get affected by the rain and assigned five teams led by the respective zonal Assistant Commissioners(AC) to monitor the place and take necessary action. Every year, rainwater get ts stagnated in the subways across the city.

Last year, a car got submerged in the railway underpass on Avinashi Road due to the heavy rain. On Sunday, another car got stuck in the railway underpass near the Kikani school junction. The Indian Meteorological Department’s Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai has issued an orange alert for Coimbatore district for the next 3 days.

Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said around five places have been identified as vulnerable zones in the city including the Kikani school junction railway underpass, Lanka corner junction, railway underpass beneath Avinashi Road flyover, subway on the Maniyakaranpalayam to Nallampalayam road and the GH Road junction subway.

“A team comprising of six to seven officials headed by ACs are formed. The team, comprising Sanitary Inspectors (SI), Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE), Zonal Sanitary Officers (ZSO) and Assistant Engineers (AE), are instructed to monitor the situation round the clock and address the issues immediately,” said Prathap adding that the team has been told to keep sullage vehicles including motor pump installed mini-trucks and workers ready to tackle the situation.

A few months ago, the civic body set up a Disaster Management Advisory Panel comprising experts, social activists, retired engineers, motor pump company members and others to submit a report on the action that needs to be taken to find a permanent solution for the water logging problem. R Raveendran, Secretary of Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) who is also a member of the panel told TNIE that the panel submitted its report and the civic body carried out a few works. However, the works were halted due to a fund crunch.