Chennai temple tanks save two localities

It was a simple concept but it proved to be most effective. About a month back, Corporation of Chennai, anticipating good monsoon, had fast-tracked two pilot projects in Tiruvootiyur and Mylapore under the Sustainable Water Security Mission. The idea was to harvest urban runoff and keep the localities free from water stagnation.

“If the heavy rain stops, by Thursday Cuddalore will be restored to normalcy,” Rural development secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who is now monitoring rain-relief arrangements told DC. Battered roads have been restored and 35 medical camps are under operation to prevent any epidemic outbreak. To expedite the relief work, 13 teams comprising 3,000 government staff from TNEB, local bodies, highways, revenue and police are working round-the-clock, he said.

In 16 local bodies, generators are used to supply power to the villages where power has been cut fearing electrocution. Food packets are distributed to those in water logged areas, Collector S. Suresh Kumar told reporters. Commercial taxes minister M. C. Sampath called on grieving families and handed over solatium announced by the Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Rain also lashed Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur affecting normal life. Heavy wind along Marina saw drifting of beach sand with Chennai Corporation removing the sand using earthmovers and dumping it back along the shoreline.

In Kancheepuram, Animal husbandry minister T. K. M. Chinnaiah reviewed monsoon relief arrangements.

Chennai Central and Beach stations saw water leaking through the roof at the entrance that irked many passengers on Deepavali day where the station premises saw a huge rush of people heading up North to celebrate the festival. “I was not able to find a place to sit with my family as water was leaking from the roof continuously. The authorities don’t seem to have taken any steps even though they know that it is a station where lakhs of passengers arrive daily,” said Sushank Maithy, a hotel employee waiting to board a special express train to Guwahati.

Given the heritage status of the station, officials say maintaining the structure is a challenge and is not undertaken during rain. “We have received complaints from various sections regarding water leakage at Central station. However, maintenance work will commence once the monsoon is over and we are looking to ensure a protection layer will be in place from now on,” said a senior official from the engineering department of Southern Railway.

MRTS STATIONS: The most affected MRTS stations after the onset of monsoon were Chepauk, Lighthouse, Kasturbanagar, Thirumailai, Kotturpuram, Chintadripet, Indira Nagar and Tiruvanmiyur, where water leaks were found at a dozen points. At Kasturbanagar, buckets were kept on both platforms, the entrance on the first floor and near the ticket counter to collect rainwater flowing through the rooftop. “The yearly maintenance that is undertaken at MRTS stations through a contract given to a third party often ends up without completion of the specified work,” admitted an official, adding that the last round of maintenance work was undertaken 10 months ago.

Meanwhile, a number of flights landed and parked at the bays but passengers were not allowed to disembark because of the aerobridge malfunction.

Adding that such a phenomenon does occur and flights may get delayed, he said, “It will happen often but the pilot and the airport traffic controller don’t take chances on these issues. Situation will improve only when the weather improves”.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday night an Indigo Airlines flight from Mumbai to Coimbatore with 124 passengers on board was diverted to Chennai after it was unable to land in Coimbatore due to bad weather. The passengers were flown to Coimbatore this morning at 8.30.

A Jet Airways flight from Chennai to Delhi, which was supposed to leave at 6.20 am, was cancelled because only 50 passengers were there. They were later put up on another flight at 7.20 in the evening.

A watch tower with telescope and 30 binoculars have been kept ready. Additional conservator of forests KSVP Reddy and city wildlife warden Geethanjali reviewed the arrangements at Vedanthangal on Wednesday, the forester said. Migration of birds has just commenced with close to 5,000 birds now nesting at Vedanthangal and Karikilli, said S. David Raj, ranger of city wildlife headquarters. He also noted the possibility of the sanctuary to record a new high after a period of four years due to good rains. “On Wednesday, there were fresh spells of rain in and around Chengalpet and Maduranthangam, the feeding source for migratory birds. The sighting of grey heron, pintail ducks and ibis are encouraging,” said K V R K Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust.

A few species like egret and herons are at breeding plumage and this indicates that there might be an extended stay of migratory birds, he added.

Vedanthangal, the oldest bird sanctuary in the country measuring around 73 acres has history going back more than 300 years. Realising the ornithological importance, the British government had announced the lake as a bird sanctuary. The sanctuary has not been receiving water as its catchment areas have been converted into real estate plots, is a frequent complaint heard.