Chennai: Velachery residents miffed

Chennai: Chennai is now projected as a potential smart city and has started getting funds under the smart city project assuring latest civic solutions with proper engineering, but the concept seems to be mirage for the high profile Velachery in south Chennai.

Call it height of poor planning, the Chennai metro water’s pipeline and the city corporation’s stormwater drain (SWD) are overlapping at least at three junctions along Velacheri-Taramani bypass road.

“The drains and drinking water pipelines overlap at Sarathi Nagar and Vijaya Nagar along Taramani Bypass Road and residents are worried about the mixing of stormwater with metro water,” said Kumar Raja, a local resident of Velachery.

The public has reasons to panic, as there is every possibility of drinking water getting contaminated if metro water pipes break. About, 45,000 families in the area depend on piped supply of drinking water. Overlapping of stormwater drain above drinking water pipes is a big error on the part of urban planning, said Raja.

Deep stormwater drains and slow progress of work on Poonamallee high road hinder motorists. (Photo: DC)

Another issue raised by local residents is the height of stormwater drain as pedestrians do trip on these raised structures while walking over SWDs.

 “The level of roads is raised periodically and this adds to the height of storm water drains. The work of storm water drains has been started after numerous pleas to the authorities and now they are constructed without following the basics of urban planning,” said M. Krishnaveni, a resident of Chitlapakkam. Chennai corporation official maintained that the civic body was yet to receive any complaint. However,  officials attached to Chennai metro water supply and sewerage board said that they would look in to the issue and have plans to shift the overlapping pipes.