CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) researchers and students undertook a data collection exercise amidst the heavy rains and winds during Cyclone Nivar that could be used to prevent future floods in Chennai.
According to a statement from the institute on Thursday, a team of faculty and students led by Prof Balaji Narasimhan, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-M, measured river discharges at several critical places across Adyar River to collect real-time data during the Cyclone.
Using an acoustic current profiler, two teams measured river currents and flow to get the integrated flow rate. Narasimhan said knowing flow rates for different flow depths could be used to monitor river discharges remotely and automatically at these critical river stretches.
Some preliminary model runs showed that catchments of Somangalam, Manimangalam, Adhanur and Guduvanchery alone could have contributed to up to 70 per cent to 80 per cent of flood flows into Adyar River.
"The collected data would be incredibly useful to manage and moderate the reservoir releases from Chembarambakkam," he said adding that this would give sufficient lead time to issue warning to people in low-lying areas and coordinate flood mitigation and relief measures.
This data collection project arose after megafloods that hit Chennai during December 2015. IIT-M along with IIT-Bombay, Anna University and the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), developed a pilot flood forecasting system with the funding support from the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India.
However, due to below normal monsoons over the last few years, sufficient data was unavailable until the year, the statement claimed.
K Phanindra Reddy, Commissioner, Disaster Management and Mitigation said in the statement, "The data collected during this field campaign by IIT Madras in close coordination with Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) would be very useful to operationalise the Real Time Flood Forecasting (RTFF) and Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) being coordinated by TNUIFLS under World Bank assisted Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project (TNSUDP)."