Stormwater drain a sewer in Villivakkam

Chennai: A Rs 2 crore Stormwater Drain (SWD) project at Villivakkam has become an inconvenience to residents, as the rainwater carrier has now become a sewage channel, thanks to the apathy of the Corporation officials.

The underground drainage (UGD) at Sidco Nagar of Villivakkam, which is running close to the uncovered drain channel, resulted in the contamination of the water connected to the Otteri Nullah, one of the main rainwater outlets of the city.

The sewer-carrying drain has thus become the breeding ground for mosquitoes, posing the threat of contaminated diseases.

Complaints and representations made by the people and the activists to the Anna Nagar Zonal Office have not been attended to. Officials attribute this negligence to fund crunch. “The project, commenced last year, could not be completed within the proposed budget of Rs 2 crore. We are awaiting  funds from the government to complete it,” an official said.

Construction of SWDs explains the negligence of the contractors and the non-monitoring of zonal officials. Raised by few feet from the ground level, the drain channel irks hundreds of residents whose houses are located adjacent to them.

M.S. Chandra Mohan, an activist, residing near Sidco Nagar said, “The open SWD is hazardous to residents. The work was simply shoddy. Despite filing many petitions about the unfinished state of the SWD, the officials had not taken any action.”

Residents are deprived of a quality livelihood due to the open network of the storm water drain.  A security officer, seeking anonymity said, “I cannot sit near the gate, as it stinks. Scourge of mosquitoes throng above the SWD. It is pathetic to work under such conditions.”

The SWD starts from Asian Gardens, Agathiar Nagar, New colony runs through and culminates at Otteri Nullah.