Projects in added areas of Greater Chennai Corporation and suburban areas hold the key to flood mitigation in the city.
The civic body had announced construction of integrated stormwater drains linking lakes and canals in each river basin. Work on integrated stormwater drains of Kosasthalaiyar basin in north Chennai, Kovalam basin in south Chennai and restoration of Buckingham Canal is expected to be taken up only after addressing the concerns raised by local residents.
The proposal for development of huge underground stormwater drains from southern suburbs to the sea was made a few years ago. The proposal for eco-restoration of large lakes in the suburban areas is expected to control flooding in a big way.
The Corporation has identified 210 lakes for restoration. But the removal of encroachments remains a challenge in most of these waterbodies, the officials said.
Biometric identification of encroachers had not been taken up along many waterbodies because of protests by local residents.
