The Hindu 12.11.2010
Garbage, plastic carry bags cause blocks in drainage, threaten flooding
An eyesore: Plastic bags, discarded clothes and garbage create blocks in the Sanganur Canal in Coimbatore. —
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation is anguished over garbage, especially plastic carry bags, causing blocks in storm water drains and a canal in the city.
Two spells of heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday led to water logging on main roads, including the arterial Avanashi Road. On Thursday, Mayor R. Venkatachalam attributed this to blocks in the drains and lamented that this was the result of reckless dumping of garbage.
V. Sivakumar, a resident of Kothari Layout located off Tiruchi Road, pointed at garbage, plastic bags and discarded clothes piling up on Sanganur Canal, a major canal that brought rain water to Singanallur Tank.
“The residents of Kothari Nagar and B.R. Nagar spend sleepless nights during heavy rain,” he said.
The colonies were inundated during monsoon earlier by the water overflowing from the canal.
Water entered the colonies because garbage blocked the flow towards the tank. On one occasion, blocks caused a breach in the canal bund and residential colonies nearby remained inundated for more than a week.
“In most cases of blocks in the storm water drains and underground drainage, plastic carry bags are found to be the cause,” the Mayor said. “People inflict harm on themselves with reckless dumping. If water does not drain, it will enter their houses” he said.
Explaining how the blocks were caused, the Mayor said garbage and bags that flowed with the water were first blocked by drinking water lines that ran across the drains. The garbage accumulated in the drain and then turned into obstinate blocks, hampering flow of rain water.
“People have to put garbage only into the bins provided by the Corporation and not along roads and into the drainage,” the Mayor said, appealing to the people to help the civic body avoid flooding.
Corporation East Zone Chairman S.M. Samy said the blocks in Sanganur Canal would be removed on Saturday. “As power lines run through this spot (near Kothari Layout), we have to use the power shutdown hours to remove silt and garbage from the canal,” he said.
