The Hindu 27.11.2010
City awash in water woes
S. Sundar
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Three die in various parts of city owing to inclement weather |
SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS:Mayor G. Thenmozhi and Corporation Commissioner S.
Sebastine inspecting Madakulam tank on Friday.
MADURAI: Inclement weather in the past few days has taken a toll on
the destitute — bodies of three unidentified persons were found in
different parts of the city on Wednesday night.
The deceased appeared to have made their living by begging and had
died owing to lack of proper shelter and poor health, Corporation
Commissioner S. Sebastine said. “Five other persons were admitted to the
Government Rajaji Hospital with the help of Medical Superintendent,” he
added. Medical teams had been advised to admit such people with
ill-health to the Corporation hospitals and provide them medical care
and food.
Medical officers and other staff had been advised to report for duty
to provide 24-hour medical care. Two teams had been deployed along ‘Bodi
Line’ and Ellis Nagar.
Besides these two residential areas, houses downstream Madakulam in
areas such as Vanamamalai Nagar, Periyar Nagar, Duraisamy Nagar and
Sringeri Nagar continue to remain inundated.
Blame game
Meanwhile, the blame game has started as officials of different
departments finding fault with each other for the marooned residential
areas. Corporation officials claimed that the Public Works Department
(PWD) letting off a huge quantum of water from the Madakulam tank had
submerged the residential areas. The PWD officials complained of
unfinished lining works on the Kiruthumal channel.
Besides, the Corporation had failed to take up minimum precautionary
steps to remove blockades in the channel before the monsoon set in.
Though Mr. Sebastine admitted to the deficiency, he said that since the
lining work had been handed over the contractor and any desilting work
taken up by the Corporation would mean indirectly helping the contractor
with the local body funds.
However, the flow of water this year was unexpectedly high. Besides,
only these two areas were affected whereas the lining work had
facilitated smooth flow of water in other parts of the city.
Roads to be repaired
The already battered roads had been further damaged by the recent
rains, particularly in many places such as Kalavasal, Madakulam,
Palanganatham, Ellis Nagar, K.K. Nagar, New Jail Road, Arasaradi,
Kamarajar Salai, Melur Road and Industrial Estate. The Commissioner said
that all potholes would be filled with ready-mix concrete soon.
Re-laying of roads would be taken up at a cost of Rs. 33 crore after the
rains.
Mayor G. Thenmozhi, Deputy Mayor P.M. Mannan, Chief Engineer K.
Sakthivel and Deputy Commissioner K. Tharpagaraj inspected the Madakulam
tank and the Kiruthumal channel. They also visited the
newly-constructed Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board houses where the
flood-affected people of Ellis Nagar and ‘Bodi Line’ were accommodated.
