CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation officials are confident the city will be better prepared to handle the rains this year as work on stormwater drains in core city areas would be completed by October. Besides augmenting the capacity of existing drains, the corporation is looking to fix missing links and reconstruct some of the drains.
Work is being carried out at a cost of nearly Rs 898 crore in zones 4 to 10 (except 7) and 13. This includes Rs 203 crore under Singara Chennai 2.0 Part 1 and Rs 64 crore under its Part 2. Of the Rs 291-crore flood mitigation fund, Rs 238 crore is being used in ongoing work, said officials.
Important work under Singara Chennai 2.0 includes work in Seethammal Colony (Rs 26.91 crore) in Teynampet, Vembuliamman Street and other streets (Rs 22.43 crore) in Kodambakkam, Ashok Nagar and other areas (Rs 7.15 crore), Ambedkar College and other areas (Rs 23.71 crore), Ripon Building (Rs 24.99 crore), Munusamy Nagar and other roads in KK Nagar (Rs 15.16 crore), Rajamannar Road and other roads (Rs 28.16 crore), and Bazullah Road and other areas (Rs 21.12 crore).
“Drains constructed after the 2015 floods were built according to the standards set by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation. They were built to withstand 40 mm of rain per hour based on the rainfall intensity and return period set during that time. This resulted in infrastructure inadequacy leading to flooding,” said a senior official.
“We are now building stormwater drains to withstand 70 mm of rain, and the capacity of existing drains is being augmented. Cloudbursts and climate change were considered while building them drains,” the official added.
Meanwhile, Rs 290 crore allotted under the flood mitigation fund will be used in isolated areas. “If the level of the drain is adjusted or small work is taken up, water will drain properly in these areas. Work is taken up in places where waterlogging was reported during the last rains,” added the official.
This apart, work is on under the capital grants funds (Rs 8.26 crore), and infrastructure and amenities (I&A) fund (Rs 27.21 crore). A part of integrated stormwater drains being built in Kovalam basin, falling within core city areas, will also be completed soon. Besides, drains are being desilted at a cost of Rs 80.37 crore.