Rain tests storm water drain project

COIMBATORE: The rain in the past few days comes as a test for the Coimbatore Corporation with the monsoon just a couple of months away. With key areas in the city being flooded, including bus stands, railway stations, under bridges and main roads, the claims of the city corporation of cleaning and de-silting several wards in the city under the mayor's clean city initiative is being questioned.
The 737km-long storm water drains that the corporation claims to have completed as part of its first phase of the storm water drain project doesn't seem to carry the rain water to the lakes as it was supposed to. The civic body had mentioned in its budget that this financial year, 50 crore would be spent on the construction of 100km storm water drains. It also mentioned that it had spent more than 100 crore in the previous two years. But several councillors and residents said that in many areas work is still pending. "In some areas in Siddhapudur, the drains were constructed only on one side. When questioned officials said they did not have funds and they would complete it in the second phase. But the second phase that was to begin in 2010 is yet to take off," said A Nandhakumar, DMK councillor of ward 52. "In my ward also, after much persuasion, drains will be constructed this week using corporation funds," he added. Councillors also alleged that the mayor's campaign ended mid-way and even when it took place, they cleaned only a couple of streets in the ward.
The storm water drain project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was divided into three phases. According to the officials, all the approved and regularized layouts in the city were covered in the first phase of the project. The second and the third phase never began because funds were not sanctioned by the central government. So, the civic body is using its own general funds and constructing drains in several parts of the city.
Residents alleged that even the newly-constructed drains were flooded in the rain. Drains in R S Puram flooded with water gushing out like a fountain through the manholes. "It happened in the last monsoon in October and is happening again in the summer rain. What is the use of constructing them if they cannot carry the water properly," said Anita, a resident of R S Puram on Thadagam road.
S M Samy, DMK councillor, ward 61 in Singanallur said in 2010 drains were constructed on the Avinashi and Trichy roads to stop them from flooding. "There was a proposal to construct drains in all the highly populated area of the city and also de-silt the drains in several commercial areas. But that has not been taken up at all," he said. "Only if these drains are de-silted can the city be monsoon ready," added Samy.