CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Public Works Department would soon be building stormwater drains (SWDs) in five flood-prone localities of south Chennai at a cost of Rs. 400 crores.
L Nandakumar, Chief Engineer of GCC, said the civic body would build in three locations while the PWD would build in two locations. “Tenders would be finalized by December and the project may take six months to complete,” he told The New Indian Express.
He said that the drains built by GCC would cost about Rs. 250 crores while the ones by PWD may cost Rs. 150 crore.
The SWDs built by GCC would be coming at the stretches between Pallaikaranai and Radial Road finally connecting to Buckingham Canal, Perumbakkam to Buckingham Canal, and Nookampalayam to Semmenchery. The PWD would be building the SWDs at Tharambur and Navalur.
It is to be noted that these localities were severely flooded during the recent rains in the city.
Officials said that in attempts to avert flooding, a detailed drone survey has been conducted in these localities and various firms have been consulted for designs
“The drains would be built as cut-and-cover under the roads and it would facilitate faster discharge of water to the sea. Depth, storm surge effects have all been studied in this process,” said the official.
Officials also said that this project has been swiftly planned as the CM too had instructed to come up with a master plan to avert flooding in the localities.
Apart from this, the civic body has also identified 25 locations that are prone to water stagnation and has consulted the IIT Madras engineers on designs to come up in these localities to avert flooding.
Meanwhile, in a press briefing on Friday, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the Integrated Storm Water Drain (ISWD) projects in North Chennai would begin in 10 days. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is likely to inaugurate the project, he further added.
“Added areas to corporation limits such as Thiruvottriyur, Manali, Madhavaram would benefit from the project,” he said.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the ISWD network for Kosasthalaiyar Basin covers 763 kilometres in North Chennai.