The Greater Chennai Corporation and other agencies will build five perpendicular drains to reduce flooding in the southern parts of the city. In north Chennai, the Corporation will begin work on an integrated storm-water drain project in 10 days. Both works are expected to make the city flood-resilient in the immediate future.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash said the project to build the five drains, estimated at ₹400 crore, was proposed to prevent flooding of the Pallikaranai marshland during the rain.
“At least 24 km of the new drains will be developed through the cut- and-cover method. The Corporation will build three drains. One will take storm water from Pallikaranai along the radial road to Buckingham Canal. The second will be developed from Perumbakkam to Buckingham Canal. The third will be from Nookampalayam to Buckingham Canal. Two drains will be built by the Public Works Department. One of them will take water from Thalambur and the other from Navalur. We will finalise the design in 20 days,” he said.
Pointing to the data on heavy rainfall in suburban areas, he said, “Tambaram received 32 cm of rainfall [so far this monsoon]. The storm water from areas like Tambaram reaches the southern parts of the city, taking a circuitous route through Buckingham Canal and Muttukadu, before reaching the sea. Water from many suburban parts reaches the Pallikaranai marshland in the Chennai Corporation limits, flooding many neighbourhoods. Areas such as Velachery, Perungudi and Pallikaranai have been flooded this monsoon.”
In north Chennai, the Corporation will launch the integrated storm-water drain project in the Kosasthalaiyar basin in areas such as Tiruvottiyur, Manali and Madhavaram in 10 days. “We have received funding from the Asian Development Bank. All parts of Chennai will be flood-resilient in two-and-a-half years after the construction of the drains,” Mr. Prakash said. Stressing the need for ecorestoration of tanks and rivers, Mr. Prakash said the civic body had saved 1 tmc ft of water after the eco-restoration of many of the 210 tanks in the city.
“The Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust has received an allocation of ₹5,000 crore. We will build modular treatment plants to prevent pollution of rivers. The added areas of the city will get sewer networks shortly.”
“At least 125 acres of the Pallikaranai marshland will be eco-restored. Biomining of 225 acres of the dumpyard will be carried out at an estimated cost of ₹400 crore. This is the largest biomining project in India. The Corporation will retain 100 acres of land and give 125 acres back to the marshland [under the Forest Department],” Mr. Prakash said.
The Corporation would also develop drains at 23 locations, like Baba Nagar in Villivakkam, to prevent water stagnation, he said.