CHENNAI: Officials belonging to the water resources department and other departments left for Japan on Saturday to acquire insights into effective flood mitigation strategies and strengthen water management capabilities in flood-prone areas.
A senior WRD official told TNIE, “The team, consisting of eight members from various departments, will commence work from Monday and conclude it on May 17. Their itinerary includes visits to Tokyo and other cities to learn the best practices on water management strategies and action plans, tailoring them to local context”.
The official also said Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would oversee the task and elucidate water management strategies employed by the country. “Chennai and its surrounding areas have been consistently affected during northeast monsoon every year. There have also been significant delays in draining floodwater through the Adyar, Cooum, Kosasthalai and other waterbodies,” another official said.
The WRD has already engaged a private consultant to develop a permanent flood mitigation solution. This entity will prepare a comprehensive project report for which the state government has allocated a sum of Rs 5 crore. Similarly, JICA has been diligently compiling a report on flood mitigation, incorporating special equipment and state-of-the-art technologies for installation on waterbodies, the official added.
“The assessment will continue over the next couple of years, and we will submit a report to both the state and union governments. As part of this endeavour, an official team has now gone to Japan,” the official said. It is worth noting that the Tirupugazh Committee recently submitted its flood mitigation report to the state government, specifically addressing the situation in Chennai.