No respite from inundation for Iyyapanthangal residents

No respite from inundation for Iyyapanthangal residents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.12.2021

About 5000 residents in Iyyappanthangal village panchayat have been under four feet deep water for over two weeks now, thanks to a private person who encroached upon a canal that takes excess rainwater from Porur lake to Adyar river. The panchayat administration has done little to resolve their flooding issues that they are facing for over ten years now.

Close to 45000 people reside here and about 10000 live in flood-hit areas alone such as EVP Prabu Avenue, Dhanalakshmi Nagar, Sri Sai Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Maduram Nagar. They have to walk through hip deep water every time they need to purchase essentials or go for work. Boats have been deployed but not everyone can access them. The residents have been cut off from the main roads for the last two weeks with water level showing no signs of receding.

Pattabiraman, Vice president of Maduram Nagar welfare association said that excess water from Chembarabakkm lake when let out comes to the area via a canal and reaches Porur lake. Once this lake is filled up, the water must go to Adyar river via various disposal points. However, there is a reverse flow from Porur lake causing heavy inundation in the area due to blocked canals.

“A culvert that was an outlet from the lake on the eastern side has been blocked which is why our area is getting flooded now. We didn’t have any problem in 2008. The surplus water from Porur lake would exit at 13.895 km from Perungalathur NHAI toll road. This was not functional as a private person from Moulivalkam village sealed the outlet on both sides with cement concrete. The canal that goes up to Kundrathur road is enchroached. Multistoried buildings have also been built upon canal path,” he said.

Senthil Kumar, an RTI activist, said that while it was true that the area is low-lying, it had enough canals and drains carrying excess rainwater to Porur lake. “Why should residents pay the price for government inaction on encroachment,” he said.

The panchayat residents have also opposed the government’s decision to join it with Mangadu municipality. “We are not even half a kilometre away from Chennai corporation. We should be added to the corporation. Only then, our civic woes will reduce,” said Senthil.

An official said that the public works department had constructed a check-dam to store water from Porur lake.

MONSOON EFFECT: Residents use makeshift boats to move around in Dhanalakshi Nagar near Iyyappanthangal where water has not receded for the last two weeks