Chennai, Aug 30
Residents of Shastri Nagar in Vyasarpadi are worried about flooding as frequent rain exposes poor water flow in a canal heavily choked by water hyacinth and garbage.
A stretch of the Vyasarpadi canal along Shastri Nagar First Street is blanketed with hyacinth, leaving little open space for water to move. The canal resembles a green carpet, with stagnant water underneath adding to foul odour and the menace of mosquitoes and insects.
Residents said the aquatic weed had been spreading unchecked for several months.
With the city receiving intermittent rain, they fear that a heavy spell could cause the canal to overflow and inundate nearby streets and houses.
The situation has been compounded by bridge construction on Anna Salai in Shastri Nagar. Portions of the water channel near the bridge have been obstructed during the work, slowing drainage and causing rainwater to collect along First Street and adjoining residential stretches.
Local people said garbage was also being dumped near the canal at night, further restricting the waterway. They urged the Greater Chennai Corporation to clear both the hyacinth and accumulated waste before the city receives intense rainfall.
"Water hyacinth has been growing here for the past five months. Some people also dump garbage near the canal at night. This further obstructs the flow of water. Foul odour and mosquito menace are an everyday nuisance," a resident said.
Another resident, Nagamani, said the bridge work had blocked the water's path at points, resulting in rainwater stagnation in residential areas.
He called for the construction to be completed and for temporary arrangements to ensure uninterrupted drainage until then.
Residents warned that delayed action could create a twofold public-health and civic problem. Apart from the danger of houses being flooded, prolonged stagnation could provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increase the risk of vector-borne diseases.
A senior Corporation official said work on one side of the bridge on Anna Salai had been completed and construction on the other side was progressing.
The civic body has requested a robotic excavator to clear the dense vegetation from the canal. The hyacinth removal operation would begin once the equipment reaches the locality, the official said.
Residents, however, want the canal cleared urgently and its water flow restored before another spell of heavy rain.
— IANS
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