Chennai: “Residents of Saidapet should take adequate precautions ahead of monsoon as the locality is vulnerable to floods and there is no point in blaming the city corporation or the government for their failure to desilt Adyar river”, Saidapet MLA and former Chennai mayor M. Subramaniam told residents after visiting the low-lying areas in Saidapet on Saturday.
“I have spoken about how Chennai is prone to floods in the TN legislative Assembly, written to the chief secretary and PWD officials about the threat that residents are facing during monsoon, but nothing concrete has been managed so far, so I have launched a visit in two-wheeler throughout my constituency to alert the residents on monsoon woes,” Subramaniam told DC in the midst of his bike ride.
Despite going through a disaster last year, the government machinery is yet to respond. The residents have been demanding strengthening of bounds on the Adyar river and also seek a protective wall near Saidapet and Jafferkanpet areas that submerged during December floods, but the work in this regard is yet to commence, he said. “As a local resident of south Chennai, I know the low lying regions that are vulnerable to water logging. And as an MLA, I want to lead the people residing in my constituency. Civic activists and youngsters in the locality had been required to check that the waterways are free from encroachments and garbage stagnation, so that the corporation can be urged to clear the drains ahead of monsoon,” Mr Subramaniam added.
When contacted a corporation official on the allegations leveled by former mayor, the official said the public works department has taken desilting of the Adyar river in full sight. Bund strengthening is now underway at Ekkathuthangal and the PWD minister reviewed widening of Adyar estuary on Friday. The corporation to its part had completed the desilting of existing storm water runs out and is ready for the monsoon.
“I don’t think Saidapet is going to flood like last year as it was an unprecedented downpour but garbage stagnation and mosquito menace are issues haunting residents,” said Appu Shanker, a resident of Ekkathuthangal.
