CHENNAI: With the northeast monsoon setting in early this year, TNIE visited the flood-prone areas of Velachery, Manali, Perumbakkam, and Korattur for a status check, only to realise that various issues have carried over from the floods last year.
A common concern across these regions was illegal sewer connections that were allowed to flow into stormwater drains. Not only does this disrupt the course of stormwater but also leads to sewage stagnation on the streets when the drains are burdened during heavy rains.
In Velachery, the residents of areas such as Ram Nagar, AGS Colony, and Vijaya Nagar expressed frustration over the corporation officials suggesting those staying on the ground floors shift to higher ground. “Year after year, the officials provide us with this same advice instead of executing a permanent solution. Nothing is done to address the root cause of inundation,” said Selvi S (42), a resident.
The Velachery Lake’s storage capacity has reduced from 19.24 million cubic feet (Mcft) to a mere 4.81 Mcft over time. The lake, now heavily contaminated with sewage, overflows during rains. Although the residents had requested officials to empty the lake to enable it to store more rainwater, they claim no action ensued.
At AGS Colony, the local sewage pumping station, which serves around 25,000 households, remains vulnerable to flooding. Work to elevate the station commenced only this month and remains incomplete, raising concerns about sewage flowing into houses.
The incomplete work on the highway canal near Vijaya Nagar 13th High Road has further upset the residents. This poses a significant risk of surrounding areas such as Vijaya Nagar and Ram Nagar getting flooded. Though the stormwater drain work has been completed in many parts of Velachery, the dug-up roads remain unpaved.
During a visit to Korattur, TNIE observed metrowater board workers discharging large volumes of black water from the permanent pumping station near North Avenue Canal, which is meant to pump rainwater. Upon inquiry, the staff said the black water was sewage that was illegally discharged into stormwater drains from households or companies.
They revealed that only one such illegal connection had been detected so far, whereas many others exist, due to which water was being released from the permanent pumping stations even before rains began.
Despite the North Avenue Canal being a key flood control channel, it narrows down from 20 feet to 10 feet downstream, limiting its capacity to manage heavy rainfall. Although desilting works have been completed in some areas, the critical narrow stretches remain untouched, said a 44-year-old resident, Maiden Pitchai.
Residents in Perumbakkam and Pulianthope said that despite desilting, silt is left piled up beside drains, only to be washed back into the system during rain. Encroachments around Perumbakkam and Sithalapakkam lakes, coupled with water hyacinths choking waterways, further aggravate flooding risks.
In Manali’s Kamarajar Salai, roads remain unrestored though the drainage work was completed last month. Meanwhile, in MGR Nagar, near Periyathoppu Lake, the residents were worried about the partially broken flood retention wall. Vijayakumar B (44), a resident said,
“We had requested an increase in the height of the wall as a flood mitigation measure but now for some construction, they have broken it worsening the situation. During previous floods, the water would rise to neck level, forcing us to evacuate immediately.”
The IRCDUC has also raised concern that the corporation has not revealed anything about precautionary measures taken for homeless people.