Tiruchi Corporation to install motor pumpsets to drain rainwater from Lawsons Road and Bheema Nagar

Mayor M. Anbazhagan, middle, inspects the site for establishing a motor room on Lawson Road in Tiruchi on Tuesday.

In an attempt to prevent inundation of Lawsons Road and Bheema Nagar during heavy rain in the city, Tiruchi Corporation has decided to install heavy duty diesel motors to pump rainwater into Uyyakondan Canal at both the places.

The inundation at the two places is often caused by heavy flow from Central Bus Stand and Cantonment areas through two open drains that ultimately flow into the Uyyakondan. The Corporation has also decided to install shutters at the confluence point of the drains so that the water flowing in Uyyakondan river does not reach the roads.

Explaining the rationale behind pumping rainwater into the river, civic officials say during the irrigation season, when water flows in the Uyyakondan, the rainwater from the open drains cannot drain into the river. During such times, there is heavy inundation on Lawsons Road, an arterial road, and Bheema Nagar areas. Hence, it has been decided to install heavy duty motors pump sets on Lawsons Road and near Ponvizha Nagar in Bheema Nagar to pump rainwater into the river.

On Tuesday, Mayor M. Anbazhagan, along with civic officials, inspected the sites for establishing the motor room on Lawson Road. Later, Mr. Anbazhagan told The Hindu that 20-25 HP motor pumpsets would be installed to pump out the rainwater. The Corporation had already installed motor pumpsets in different parts of the city that were prone for inundation during the monsoon.

Corporation officials said it could take about a couple of months to install the shutters and the motor pumpsets. The work on erecting the shutters had to be taken up in coordination with the Water Resources Department as the work could not be taken up when there was heavy flow in the river.

Mr. Anbazhagan said the desilting of the open drains, which primarily serve as a network of storm water drains in the city, would be completed by the end of October. “Thanks to desilting, there was no major inundation in the city during the heavy rain a couple of days ago,” he added.

Silt accumulation was being cleared from open drains for total a length of 257 km in the city at a cost of ₹4.12 crore, he had informed the Corporation Council at its recent meeting.