The residents of Velakalnatham staging a road blockade on Friday, demanding immediate resumption of the storm-water drain work.
Residents of Velakalnatham near Jolarpet blocked Natrampalli Main Road, protesting the delay in the completion of storm-water drain work by the local panchayat.
Residents said that delay had resulted in the overflow of sewage in residential areas, posing health risks. “Old open drains were demolished to build wider one. However, the work remains incomplete, resulting in the overflow of sewage water onto stretches,” S. Kumar, a resident, said.
Residents said the sewage then gets stagnated on the stretches, and turn into breeding ground for mosquitoes. They kept their children from playing on the streets as they fell sick regularly.
However, the stagnation coupled with heavy rain — witnessed by the region over the past few weeks — has made it challenging for residents to ensure their kids’ safety. Though complaints were repeatedly made to panchayat officials, no steps had been taken, residents said.
Subsequently, they staged a road blockade around 11 a.m. on Friday, demanding immediate resumption of the work. On being alerted, Natrampalli police reached the spot, and assured them of action.
Panchayat officials said the storm-water drain was being widened within the panchayat limits, which covers 15 wards, consisting around 3,500 families. As the village does not have an underground drainage system, sewage from houses is discharged into drains, which are connected to lakes on the town outskirts.
Most of the old drains, built in the 1980s, were damaged due to poor upkeep and encroachments. Moreover, small drains, unable to efficiently discharge floodwater during monsoon, resulted in the inundation of residential areas.
“Tirupattur district administration should release the funds allocated for the purpose. Senior officials have been apprised about the need for new drains,” a panchayat official said.
Published – June 27, 2025 08:17 pm IST
