CHENNAI: The corporation will soon begin work on fixing missing links in the stormwater drain (SWD) network in 144 locations identified across the city. The project will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore.
Locations that were waterlogged in the recent rains and have a history of inundation have been identified in seven of the 15 corporation zones — Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar. Following the identification of critical areas, corporation officials have decided to construct the missing links on the recommendation of engineers and experts.
“Contracts have been finalised and work orders have been issued to take up construction of missing links in these 144 areas. Work is set to begin soon,” stated a city corporation release on Sunday. The total length of SWDs to be constructed under the project is 45 km.
Since city streets continue to be inundated year after year during the monsoons, the civic body has taken up projects to replace old SWDs, construct new drains and fix missing links. TNIE had reported in 2018 that flood monitoring officers had then identified 211 missing links in the stormwater drain network. In December this year, corporation officials in all 15 zones were asked to report back on critical areas that were flood-prone and areas that had missing links in SWD network.
Work on Integrated SWDs in Kovalam basin is also set to begin soon. Worth Rs 150.4 crore, the project is to be divided into three packages. In Alandur and Perungudi zones, SWDs for a total length of 15.2 km are to come up at Kannan colony, Nehru Colony, Nanganallur, PV Nagar and Hindu colony at a cost of Rs 60.73 crore.
In the Perungudi zone, Srinivasa Nagar, Sadasivam Nagar and Ram Nagar will get drains worth Rs 29.33 crore for a total length of 7.2 km. Under the third package, Perungudi zone’s Ram Nagar, Kubendiran nagar and Sadasivam Nagar are to get drains spanning 17.4 km at a project cost of Rs 60.3 crore.