Damaged portion of protection wall along Kollidam likely to be rebuilt soon

The district authorities are likely to take a decision soon on the repair and reconstruction of the damaged portion of the bed protection wall near the Kollidam bridge, which was washed away during the surplus discharge in the river in 2024.

Responding to concerns raised over the damaged wall causing one-sided flow in the river at the monthly farmers’ grievances meeting here on Friday, District Collector V. Saravanan said he would visit the site soon to work out a solution.

The State Highways Department had built the bed protection wall across the river in 2024 as a protective measure to check sand erosion around the pile foundation of the new bridge built across the Kollidam a few years ago in the city.

In August 2024, a portion of the wall was dislodged for a length of 30 metres due to the heavy water flow in the river. The previous Collector M. Pradeep Kumar had later said at a farmers grievances meeting that the contractor who had built the structure would be asked to restore it.

However, the bed protection wall is yet to be repaired. Raising the issue at Friday’s grievances meeting, P. Ayyakannu, president, Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Innaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, said with the surplus water being discharged in the Kollidam again from Mukkombu now, the water was flowing only on the one side of the river through the damaged portion of the wall. This could prove to be dangerous and cause deep erosion on one side of the river. A school situated along the river banks could be flooded, he said.

A senior official of the Water Resources Department conceded that the water flow was concentrated on one side of the river and said they had taken up the matter with the Highways Department. It was better to remove the wall, if it was not restored, he added.

Mr. Saravanan directed the official to schedule an inspection so that he could assess the situation first hand.

Sources in the Water Resources Department told The Hindu that the Highways Department was keen to reconstruct the damaged portion of the wall by providing a deeper foundation and retain the structure. A joint inspection would be conducted soon and a proposal was likely to be drawn up.