Corporation draws flak for poor quality of drainage channel construction in Tirunelveli

Residents, consumer association, and the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam have come down heavily on the Corporation for the poor quality of construction and the faulty design of the drains that failed to serve the purpose for which they were built and caused hardship to the public.

In the petition submitted to Mayor G. Ramakrishnan on Tuesday, the Consumer Rights Protection Forum said the Corporation started the work on the sewage channel between Andavar Street and Kottikulam Road in Ward 45 after the monsoon set in.

Since the work was substandard and the design faulty, the sewage that flowed along this channel had breached the “concrete canal” at several points. Moreover, the channels built were above the level of the road resulting in the sewage flowing into the houses nearby.

“Since the Corporation officials failed to inspect their project and ensure superior quality of work, the residents were suffering now. The Corporation should hence take corrective measures immediately to avert the nauseating condition prevailing in our area,” said V. Petchimuthu, president of the Forum.

A group of residents from Melapalayam Kalwath Nayagam Street in Ward 45 submitted a petition complaining about the poor quality drainage channels in their area built with bad design. “The drainage channel work started a month ago by Melapalayam Zone chairperson Kathija Iqlam Fazila had been abandoned midway. The quality of the work executed so far is far from satisfaction. Since the drainage channel has not been properly designed, sewage stagnates in the channel and overflows in some areas to create disgusting condition along the street. In some spots, the overflowing sewage had entered the nearby houses. Hence, the Corporation should act immediately to rectify the construction issues and complete the work at the earliest,” the petitioners said.

On behalf of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, the party’s 17^th ward secretary P. Suresh submitted a petition narrating the ordeals of the 200-odd Scheduled Caste families of Samooharengan Trust Street due to the sewage overflowing along the street.

“The Corporation should immediately start constructing the sewage channel along this street,” Mr. Suresh said.

Patta sought

A group of residents from Thimmarajapuram and Kakkan Nagar at Ward 5 submitted a petition seeking patta for the waterway poramboke land as they had built their houses on this land.

“Since there was no farming operation in our area for the past 30 years, we built the houses on this land. Following a Supreme Court order on eviction of encroachments made along the waterway poramboke lands, the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board had issued eviction notice to 84 families. As there is no farming operation in our area over the past 30 years and our houses are not obstructing any flow of water, the government should give us patta for the lands on which we have built our houses,” the petitioners said.

A group of people from Shanmugarengapuram in Ward 16 submitted a petition seeking the installation of a synthetic water tank at the cremation ground and the residents of Ward 17 submitted a petition seeking burial ground on a government poramboke land near Gandhi Nagar.