Residents seek clean-up of clogged Manjal Neer canal

Residents of Nattampet, Pallavamedu and surrounding areas are faced with a dual sting — mosquitoes and garbage menace. Residents say a six-km stretch of the Manjal Neer canal in Kancheepuram is being used to dump garbage. 

The desilting of the canal is a long-pending demand of the residents. The canal courses through Nattampet, Pallavamedu, Pillaiyur, Moongilmandabam, and Tirukalimedu, altogether six km. The canal was first maintained by the municipality and subsequently handed over to a private contractor. 

The residents said the garbage dump was a conducive place for mosquitoes to breed and proliferate. Several residents living along the canal said the public too was to blame as garbage was often thrown into the waterbody.  

“Now, some people have started linking their septic tanks to the canal,” said P Suresh, a resident of Perumal Kovil Street in Kancheepuram. “The canal was built in 1979, spending Rs 1.3 core. Till 2012 it was maintained by the municipality,” he said. 

The residents said the officials were not getting the drainage network repaired. They were opting to link it to the canal as an easy way out. They said the municipality was passing the buck by saying that the maintenance was the responsibility of the PWD. However, PWD officials said the canal was the civic body’s responsibility. 

Kancheepuram municipal engineer Mahendran said, “it is true that the canal belongs to the PWD but considering the public concern we have done our best in maintaining the canal. We desilted the canal last year but soon the public began to dump garbage again. Now, we intend to cover the entire canal with cement slabs at a cost of Rs. 20 crore. The work is in progress.” he said.