CHENNAI: The Tambaram Corporation will soon start construction of stormwater drains in flood-prone localities in Tambaram, Anakaputhur, Pallavapuram, and Pammal for a 11-km stretch, at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
Following administrative sanction and allocations under the flood mitigation funds 2021-22, the corporation has released tenders for the work which is expected to be completed within six months.
A senior corporation official said, "The localities which witnessed heavy inundation during the last monsoon have been given priority. The places were chosen after studying the entire neighbourhood, and it would prevent flooding during the monsoon season, if completed on time."
The construction will include four packages in Tambaram for Rs 16.9 crore, seven in Pammal for Rs 9.31 crore, and one in Anakaputhur for Rs 4.35 crore. All the drains will also be closed with reinforced cement concrete lining. Most of the drains would be constructed near waterbodies, such as the Idumban lake and Thiruvancheri lake in Tambaram, and Navadai lake in Pammal.
While work will be completed on priority, the corporation will also focus on construction of SWDs in Sembakkam and erstwhile town panchayats - Madambakkam, Thiruneermalai, Perungalathur, Chitlapakkam, and Peerkankaranai.
Officials said they were planning to lay SWDs across the corporation in the next two years. At present, Tambaram has 168 km of stormwater drains, of which only 14 km are closed drains.