CHENNAI: Following the recent heavy rains in the state, the Water Resources Department (WRD) is set to undertake a significant restoration initiative involving water bodies in Chennai and Madurai, at a cost of Rs 630 crore, with Rs 350 crore earmarked for Chennai and the rest for Madurai. A government order (GO) regarding the same will be issued after Chief Minister MK Stalin returns from Spain.
A senior WRD official told TNIE, “WRD had submitted a Rs 1,000 crore project report for restoration in the Madurai region, addressing substantial damage to water bodies in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi. However, the state’s initial fund allocation stands at Rs 280 crore.”
“During the recent spell of heavy rainfall in southern districts, over 500 water bodies, including Thamirabarani River, suffered severe damage. Linking channels to the river were breached, making it impossible to store water in the lakes to their full capacity. Currently, these lakes have been filled to only 50% of their capacity,” the official added.
Due to facing challenges in securing funds from the state government, the WRD approached the central government. Subsequently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved obtaining loans from the World Bank through reimbursement method. The World Bank, in turn, agreed for an initial sum of Rs 500 crore for Chennai and Madurai regions. Due to the financial constraints, WRD has decided to focus on restoring water bodies in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi. Works are expected to begin by the first week of March.
Another official noted, “In the Chennai region, WRD aims to address flood mitigation, missing links and issues with the stormwater drains across Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts. With parliamentary elections right around the corner, the state government has instructed all departments to expedite all scheduled works. And so, WRD is set to float tenders for the project this week.”