CHENNAI: The city Corporation may have come up with a simple yet effective solution to counter the long-standing issue of waterlogging at Santhome High Road. The water from the stormwater drain is usually disposed of at the Adyar Creek. However, during the rainy season, the high tides do not allow for disposal of water into the creek, said officials.
“So until the water levels come down, water from the stormwater drain is unable to flow out and waterlogging persists — sometimes for half a day or so,” said an official.
Now, the Corporation will construct a shutter at the end of the stormwater drain which will be downed during high tide and make arrangements for water to be pumped out from the landward side to the seaward side using a high-power pump.
While work on the stormwater drain is going on, officials said that the estimate for the new additions including the pump and shutter is yet to be finalised. Apart from being a busy arterial road, the Santhome High Rroad is also a ‘VIP route’. However, the street gets waterlogged almost every time it rains. “We often receive reports of stagnant water and the traffic comes to a standstill. We set out to identify the issue and found that the issue is at the disposal point,” said a senior Corporation official.
“With this change, we are confident that the chances of waterlogging at Santhome High Road will be extremely low from here on,” the official added. The tweak will be carried out and if found to be successful, may be replicated in other areas too.