Chennai: On Ennore High Road, opposite the Shastri Nagar bus stand, a waterbody that existed more than five years ago is now barely visible. The course has transformed into a lush green expanse of grass, hyacinth, and garbage. Running from Tondiarpet along the high road towards Indian Oil Corporation, the canal, residents recall, once overflowed with water. Years of neglect, coupled with a lack of dredging, have turned this flood buffer into a flood inducer.
Impact on Local Residents
More than 500 houses along the road and in interior areas of Shastri Nagar, Nedunchezhiyan Nagar, Nethaji Nagar, and Karunanidhi Nagar are affected year after year during floods. The canal once had a steady flow of water, helping drain excess water during heavy rain from as far as Tondiarpet. Now, the area floods during monsoon as overgrown plants reduce the width of the canal, said S Sankari, a resident of Shastri Nagar.
Mosquito Menace
Mosquito menace is another problem that residents face. It is high time that the canal is dredged and widened, said Anbu, a resident. Corporation zonal officials were unavailable for comment. However, an engineer from the corporation said the land belonged to Railways.
Official Response
Zonal chairman Netaji Ganesan said the waterbody was too small to be called a canal and denied that it was posing problems. It is just a man-made pond. Widening work around the IOC was put on hold due to elections. When it resumes, we will see what can be done, he added.
Residents continue to demand immediate action to prevent further flooding and health hazards. The canal's neglect has turned a once-useful drainage system into a source of annual misery for hundreds of families.
