Rain spells flooding fear in Ennore hamlets

Chennai

Athipattu Pudunagar is a settlement on low-lying lands abutting the Creek. The NTECL Vallur has built a coal-fired thermal power plant and an ash pond inside the Kosasthalaiyar River’s backwaters blocking off drainage to the south. 

Explaining the situation, Pooja Kumar, Researcher, Coastal Resource Centre (CRC), said, “The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have constructed oil terminals inside the creek blocking off the eastern and northern drainage for the village. The water from the surrounding villages flows from the west to the east, passing through the major drainage canal in Athipattu Pudhunagar to reach the Creek. Due to the encroachments, the drainage canal has been blocked and the rainwater travelling pattern has changed,” she said. 

Now, a short spell of rainfall is enough to inundate the locality. “In the rainfall that occurred a few days ago, the roads were clogged and water had entered the households. Now, if there is unprecedented rainfall like 2015, the 2,500 households in the village will suffer,” added the researcher.  Villagers of Athipattu Pudunagar are a worried lot. 

CPI(M) holds hunger strike to save Ennore 

Around 500 people participated in a day-long hunger fast, to save the Kosasthalaiyar River and demanded the state government to stop encroachments in the locality. 

G Ramakrishnan, Secretary of CPI(M), TN, said, “The State government has allowed the Kamarajar Port to construct on the wetlands. The power plants have dumped ash on acres of wetland in Ennore. The estuary has been clogged. During the monsoons, all of North Chennai will be severely affected. We want the state government to take cognizance of this and stop further encroachment on the Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar River. If the state government doesn’t take any steps to save Ennore, we will intensify our stir,” said the state secretary. 

“During a short spell of rain, the water enters our homes. We are worried about the upcoming monsoon. The encroachments have resulted in us suffering six months due to inundation,” said a resident. 

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