Ahead of North East (NE) Monsoon’s onset, the State Public Works Department has commenced pre-monsoon preparation work on a war-footing to clear the major waterways in and around Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts and has allocated Rs 3.62 crore for executing 58 works.
Of the 58 works, 19 would be carried out in Araniyar Basin Division (Chepauk) while 25 works would be taken up in Kosasthalaiyar Basin Division (Tiruvallur). 14 will be taken up in the Lower Palar Basin Division (Kancheepuram).
The work to be carried out include desilting and removal of obstructions in several of the city’s waterways like Central Buckingham canal, Cooum river and Adyar river, the city’s tanks and Pallikkaranai swamp. This has to be done to enable the Public Works Department to manage the floods. During the monsoon rains, the sand bars accumulated at the Muttukadu mouth have to be removed for smooth flow of flood water into the sea.
Similarly, pre-monsoon work has to be taken up in Velachery tank surplus course and the link channel between Velachery Tank Surplus course and Pallikaranai swamp to avoid inundation in areas like Velachery, Madipakkam, Adambakkam and Keezhkattalai. Providing sandbags for the Adyar River and other areas is also part of the work to be completed.
Last year, 63 works were carried out along the waterways in Chennai district — in Adyar, Redhills tank surplus course, Korattur tank surplus course, and Thanikachalam Nagar.