CHENNAI: Following Cyclone Michaung and its aftermath, resident associations from across Chennai and its suburbs have come together to conduct a citizen-led audit of the floods. The citizen collective — Makkal Medai — is all set to assess the reason for the flood and publish an interim report by February.
Activists, residents, and members from various associations took part in a consultation meeting on Saturday. They urged the government to assess the impact of the ongoing infrastructure projects on the drainage system. Shrinking water bodies and canals and lack of desilting at vital water sources were touted as reasons for the flood in the city.
Experts emphasised the need for open data availability regarding water bodies. Dayanand Krishnan, an engineer and a civic activist, said the government should create a separate database for water bodies. “The chief secretary has assured a GPS-based remeasuring of water bodies which should be executed without delay,” he added.The collective will publish an interim report by February and a detailed report by June 2024.