1 week Ago
Chennai: For more than 10 days, residents of several streets in Madipakkam have been unable to take their cars or two-wheelers out because the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has left heaps of debris outside their houses. The debris, from demolished stormwater drain work , was dumped in 2.5-meter gaps in front of houses on various streets in Ram Nagar.
At least six streets in the locality were affected. Residents said they tried clearing the mounds themselves, but the volume was far too much. "We've been stuck inside with our cars for days.
It's difficult to take out two-wheelers too, as there are sharp stones that can puncture the tires," a resident said. The civic agency is carrying out an 8-kilometre-long stormwater drain (SWD) network for South Chennai zones, including Perungudi and Sholinganallur, at a cost of 5 crore. In some locations, they are connecting missing links, stretching up to 200 metres cumulatively.
GCC said the issue was temporary. "We are executing SWD restoration work, and debris will be cleared after the work is completed," said Perungudi zonal chairman S V Ravichandran. He said GCC will also begin the KfW-funded storm water drain project for Perungudi zone shortly.
"The work orders will be distributed soon to begin works," he said. Officials said the project will add 30-km more drains to Madipakkam area. The drains will be constructed in the interior areas including Ram Nagar, Kuberan Nagar, Sadasiva Nagar and Periyar Nagar.
It will be linked to the highways drains at Radial Road which is connected to the Pallikaranai watershed..
