The flow of water has nearly stopped at the Eastern Drainage Canal that skirts Salt Lake due to ongoing construction work of pillars of the Airport-Garia Metro line.

As a result of this the entire canal waters has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes forcing residents of several complexes, including Jal Vayu Vihar, Mahavir Vikas, blocks like IC, KB-KC, FF, EE, and SA to keep their windows and doors tightly shut.

These problems are likely to continue as, according to a Metro official, construction of the pillars could take at least one more year to complete by conservative estimates.

Preparations for a pier to be constructed in the drained out canal. Pictures by Sudeshna Banerjee

Woe vs utility

Some residents are not even taking off mosquito nets.

To add to the woes, people are also dumping garbage and waste comprising thermocol trays, plates, used plastic glasses as well as liquor bottles in the canal waters.

To aid construction work and to prevent the canalbank road from sinking in due to the piling work being done for the pillars, the agency building the pillars has constructed wooden barriers along the banks of the canal.

According to an engineer working at the site, the wooden stakes have been sunk into the loose clay of the canal bank to prevent sinking of the road due to the high pressure impact arising out of piling work.

“If we don’t put up the stakes the entire canal bank road may sink in. We have put up the wooden stakes to improve stability of the construction site as well as to ensure that the concrete road survives,” said the engineer.

Plastic and thermocol litter dumped in a cordoned part of the canal

An official at the state irrigation department said that Metro has taken all requisite permits for working on the canal and said that the water is likely to remain stagnant till construction is over as any release of water from the lockgate in the Hooghly river near Baghbazar may prove catastrophic for the construction of the pillars.

“We can hardly do anything about it. We cannot release fresh water as it will hamper construction. We can only hope that the water in the canal dries out. Once work is completed, the entire canal will need proper restoration,” said the official.

Residents who live in blocks along the canal on the other hand said that the construction work is taking a regular toll on their lives.

They cite a long list of problems that started ever since the construction of the Metro piers started. The list includes narrowed down roads to dumping of construction materials, including iron rods that are difficult to spot at night, on the canal bank road to the problem of swarms of mosquitoes descending at sundown.

“Mosquitoes are breeding in the canal waters right in front of our housing complex. We are trying to keep the area clean by asking our sweepers but it is an uphill task as people continue to dump garbage,” said Bijoy Narayan Chaudhuri, vice- chairman of the board of the Jal Vayu Vihar co-operative housing society. They are even facing problems in driving out of the complex as the area in front of their main gate has narrowed considerably due to the ongoing construction activities.

Dilip Singh, a resident of IC Block, said that random construction materials, including large chunks of concrete and even iron roads on the side of the road, have turned it into a potential death trap.

“As it is, the canal bank road plunges into darkness as most of the lights have stopped working. To add to our worries, workers are dumping construction materials that are difficult to spot at night. Two of my neighbours have been involved in accidents in February,” said Singh.

Several residents said they had complained to both the contractor building the pillars and the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to take action but to no effect.

“We have notified the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation as well as the contractor’s men but nothing has worked till date,” Singh said.

Minu Das Chakraborty, the ward co-ordinator, said the onus was on the Metro Railway authorities to keep the area clean. “We are trying our best but they too should take some responsibility,” Chakraborty said.