Ammapet residents urge Salem Corporation to speed up culvert works

Ammapet residents allege that the culvert works are going at a slow pace.
| Photo Credit: E. LAKSHM INARAYANAN

Residents of Ammapet have urged the Salem Corporation to speed up the works to complete the culvert construction on Ammapet Main Road.

The culvert, constructed 52 years ago, in front of the Madurai Veeran Temple in Ward 34 of Salem Corporation, is an outlet for surplus rainwater from Seelavari Lake, Allikuttai Lake, and upper Ammapet to reach the Vellakuttai channel and enter Thirumanimutharu River. Due to various pipelines passing under the culvert and people dumping garbage, rainwater started to flow over the roads in Ward 34, 35, 33, 40, and 42 as there were blockages in the culvert. The Corporation decided to construct a new culvert at ₹25 lakh, started works in August and planned to complete it in three months.

The residents alleged that the works were going at a slow pace. G.A. Kumar, a resident of Ammapet, said the Corporation’s drinking water pipelines, underground drainage lines, power cables, and telecom cables passed under the culvert.

Following the culvert works, vehicles were diverted via small streets. Only two and three-wheelers (auto) could pass through the regular roads and the remaining vehicles were using the military road. During school time, students suffered to cross the road through the diverted route. Hence, the residents appealed to the Corporation to complete the work soon.

The Corporation officials said the drinking water pipelines, telecom cables, and power cables were removed under the culvert. The UGD pipelines were raised for free flow of sewage. Due to these, the construction of the culvert was delayed. Though the civic body planned to complete the works before November, it would be able to finish the works in the first week of December, the officials added.