OMJASVIN M D By Express News Service CHENNAI: Captain Cotton Canal, which is an important micro drainage systems in Vyasarpadi is filled with large amounts of garbage, locking smooth flow of grey water. The 3-km canal is a major flood barrier for Erukkancheri, Vyasarpadi and MKB Nagar, taking grey water to the Buckingham Canal near Korukkupet. A field visit along the canal shows that an garbage including plastic, alcohol bottles, school bags, pillows, cardboard boxes, helmets and rubber tyres, dumped in the canal. Residents claim there is insufficient garbage bins and door-to-door collection does not take place frequently and people who alongside the canal simply swing garbage into it. ‘’As the waste is not removed and due to excessive silt, the surface of the canal is almost flat,’’ said G Radha, a resident of Bharathi Nagar, nearby the canal. The stench is unbearable and in certain places, water hyacinth and weeds have taken over. As per the latest data up to December 2019, Tondiarpet Zone, which includes Vyasarpadi, has recorded the most number of dengue cases (80) out of the 400 cases across the city. ‘’It is hazardous to live alongside these canals due to contamination and mosquito-related issues. Children get red marks all over their hands and legs due to mosquito bites,’’ said Tamil Selvi of Bharathi Nagar. Alongside the Cotton Canal, more than a hundred families live. These include informal settlements too. The residents say due to the presence of water hyacinth, sewage stagnates. Meanwhile, to restore micro-drains, several proposals have been made time and again, but most of it remains on paper. When contacted, Corporation officials said they have imported robots from Finland to clean the canal. ‘’Amphibian machines and robotic excavators have been deployed across various canals in the city. We have also removed 24,732 cubic metres of silt from the Cotton Canal from an area of 89,270 sq km and work will continue,’’ said officials. The Corporation also urged people to cooperate with restoration works and not dump waste in the canals. Meanwhile, `1,370 crore have been allocated for restoration of rivers and drains in the city. The list includes Captain Cotton Canal.

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