A clogged drain near Manapparai Bus Stand in Tiruchi district.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Ahead of the monsoon, residents of Manapparai town in Tiruchi district have urged the municipality to take steps to prevent water stagnation on major roads.
Though known for water scarcity, Manapparai reels under the impact of water stagnation and flooding, especially during rainy season. Stagnant rainwater on several major roads because of choked drains has caused serious concern among residents.
Because of poor maintenance of storm-water drains and canals, several main roads are choked with solid waste and silt. With drains clogged, waterlogging during monsoon is a perennial problem in Chokkalingapuram area, bus stand, and the road leading to the railway station in this small town, causing hardship to road users.
Residents say the municipality should promote rainwater harvesting system when there is no scope for building storm-water drains to prevent waterlogging. โMost of the roads are inundated within a few hours of rain. The civic authorities should take action to drain the stagnant water in low-lying areas,โ said Shakthi, a resident of Lakshmi Street. In addition to emitting a stench, the stagnant sewage water becomes a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases.
K. Mohamed Hussain, town secretary of the Communist Party of India, recently submitted a petition urging the officials to desilt and renovate the drains near the bus stand to prevent overflow of sewage water.
When contacted, a senior official from the municipality stated that steps would be taken to prevent rainwater stagnation on major roads and in residential areas. Storm-water drains would be inspected and desilted before the monsoon, he added.
