CHENNAI: The State Water Resource Department is building surplus water channels around Porur Lake to prevent flooding during northeast monsoon. According to a WRD source, surplus water from the lake flows through canal via Madhanapuram, Moulivakkam, Ramapuram, and Manapakkam and will drain into the Adyar.
Encroachments on the lake’s channels that carry surplus water and Tambaram ring road project, which has come up on these channels, have made it difficult to control flooding during monsoon in these areas.
A senior WRD official said to establish a direct link between surplus channels and Adyar, work was started to construct a few culverts across the NHAI bypass at a cost of Rs 60.4 crore.
Almost 80% of that work is complete and the line would be ready before the onset of northeast monsoon. Finishing touches would be given after the monsoon season, he said. Nearly 35 encroachments were removed from the lake’s surplus weir at Moulivakkam. The WRD is also constructing a foreshore bund and a retaining wall. This will help expand the lake’s water spread area, which currently has a storage capacity of about 70 million cubic feet, he said.
“Work to construct a new water channel for a distance of 700 metres from Thanthikal channel to link floodwater to the lake’s surplus course has been taken up. The new channel will help in draining flood water quickly,” the officer said.