CHENNAI: High tide is the primary reason for waterlogging in most of the 18 locations in the city that remain inundated, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told reporters on Thursday. Waterlogging in the rest of the locations has been cleared.
The city’s naturally flat gradient and the high tide have caused slow natural drainage of water and left staff unable to pump water out at various disposal points, he said.
Areas where waterlogging has not yet been cleared included Ram Nagar in Velachery, parts of Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Pulianthope and KK Nagar.
“Work is on and the waterlogging issues will be sorted out in a few hours,” he said.
However, the city has largely escaped waterlogging due to several infrastructure improvements over the last five years, Prakash said.
“In the December 2015 floods, the corporation had received over 1000 complaints of waterlogging. Over the next few years infrastructure was improved. We created 1000 kilometres of new storm water drains which were also maintained according to a strict standard operating procedure,” he said, adding that around Rs 2800 crores of investment has gone into achieving this result from various agencies.
Further, reviving 210 water bodies in the city, have helped mitigate flooding and further damages.
From Tuesday evening until Thursday morning, the city corporation had received 302 complaints of which 135 have been resolved and the rest are in various stages of completion.
He also credited the command and control centre where various departments including PWD, Highways, Metro Water, TANGEDCO and Health worked together to solve complaints quickly.
Subways remained largely unaffected by waterlogging except the Ganesapuram subway in Vyasarpadi where staff had difficulties pumping out water into the Otteri Nullah due to high tide.
So far, 387 trees have fallen of which 350 have been cleared. All 200 wards were equipped with appropriate equipment to clear fallen trees with minimal disruption to traffic, he said.
Around 4000 people were moved to 68 relief camps as a precautionary measure.
To prevent disease outbreak, lime and bleaching powder mixture is being liberally applied, especially in slum settlements and densely populated areas. On Wednesday alone, 100 MT of bleaching powder was used for this purpose, he said.
Around 23,000 people were deployed for Nivar and monsoon work.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 work will go on for the next three months without a slump, he said. Steps taken to scientifically plateau transmission and further lower it, including the 70,000 fever camps that have so far received 37 lakh people, have proven a success, Prakash said.