Rs 400 crore drain projects for south Chennai

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation and Public Works Department would soon be building stormwater drains in five flood prone localities of south Chennai at a whopping Rs 400 crore. L Nandakumar, Chief Engineer of the GCC, said that the civic body would build drains in three locations, while PWD will build in two.

“Tenders would be finalized by December and project may be completed in six months,” he told Express. The project will be funded by both, Central and State governments. The SWDs built by the GCC would come up at the stretches between Pallikaranai and Radial Road connecting to the Buckingham Canal, another one between Perumbakkam and Buckingham Canal, and the third one between Nookampalayam and Semmenchery. The PWD drains would be built at Tharambur and Navalur.

It is to be noted that these localities were severely flooded during the recent rains in the city. Officials said that a detailed drone survey was done in these localities and various firms have been consulted for designs. “The drains would be built as cut-and-cover under the roads and would facilitate faster discharge of water to the sea,” said the official.

Officials also said that this project has been swiftly planned as Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami too had instructed to come up with a master plan to avert f looding in the s e localities. Meanwhile, in a press briefing on Friday, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that the Integrated Stormwater Drain projects in North Chennai would begin in 10 days. He added, the Chief Minister was likely to inaugurate the project.