Lack of funds disrupts stormwater drain plan
CHENNAI: The Public Works Department (PWD) has submitted a 12-crore proposal to prevent inundation of Chitlapakkam, one of the suburban residential areas, which was worst affected by the 2015 floods. The department is awaiting allocation of funds to begin work. However, it is feared this proposal will only reduce the inundation time and not prevent it.
PWD officials said 1,300 metres of stormwater drains will be constructed to take the excess water from Selaiyur lake to Sembakkam lake. These 3-metre-wide drains will be constructed under the streets and can carry higher quantum of flood water. The plan is to build these drains at Babu Street and Maraimalai Adigal Street. However, these two streets are only the final points where the water from Chitlapakkam reaches before emptying into the Sembakkam lake. This means that flood water would have done the damage before reaching the drains.
It is learned that the state government had shot down the PWD’s comprehensive stormwater drain proposal worth `36 crore citing lack of funds. Express had reported how excess water from Selaiyur lake crosses Velachery Main Road and enters Subhash Chandra Bose Street before crossing a 3-acre HR&CE plot before flooding Chitlapakkam.
The current proposal will do nothing for the residents of Subhash Chandra Bose Street who were thigh deep in the water the last monsoon. “The lack of funds has forced us to concentrate on the final points to ensure water doesn’t stagnate,” said a PWD official, adding that the existing canal on HR&CE land will be deepened to ensure water flows away as fast as possible.
P Viswanathan, president of Chitlapakkam Residents Welfare Association has welcomed the proposal despite shortcomings. “Hopefully, the stormwater drains are constructed before the onset of monsoon this year,” he said. However, PWD officials said completion of the project before the monsoon would be possible only if funds are allocated immediately.