CHENNAI: The city corporation’s monsoon preparedness works, which include construction of missing links of stormwater drains and reconstruction of drains, in seven of the 15 zones have clashed with the ongoing metro rail work resulting in delay of some of these works. CMRL officials, meanwhile, are preparing temporary solutions that can prevent inundation in case of monsoon, until the work is completed.
Corporation and highways officials have raised concern of delay in taking up stormwater drain work in parts of Madhavaram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam and Sholinganallur zones, at a coordination meeting held with metro rail officials in June.
For instance, in Madhavaram Milk Colony, the last leg of stormwater drain missing link work spanning about 200 metres is pending because CMRL has not granted it a go-ahead for the work, it was said in the meeting. Due to the construction, a highways drain has been demolished for 200 feet on Jawaharlal Nehru Road which needs to be reconstructed to prevent water logging. The Arcot Road SWD has also been damaged in the impact of the ongoing work.
Disposal points in areas like Millers Road, Purasaiwalkam High Road and Barnaby Road in Kilpauk have been compromised. Although pumps were deployed by CMRL as an alternative in these areas during the recent rains, officials observed that the capacity of these pumps need an upgrade to meet the unpredictability of the North East monsoon which usually sets in between October and December.
When contacted, a senior metro rail official said wherever stormwater drains work have been disrupted, alternative arrangements will be made and CMRL works will not result in inundation in the city.
Another coordination meeting between various departments has been held in which most issues will be sorted out, the official said.
The city corporation is also parallely taking up desilting work. Desilting has been taken up on 1,242 km of a total of 2,624 km stormwater drains, and work on 755 km has been completed. The civic body has also desilted 37,000 silt catch pits so far and has about 87,719 more left.