CHENNAI: Benny Kuriakose tucked his lungi to the waist and darted out of his apartment in Kotturpuram into the road to fix the concrete slab on the pavement that collapsed in the annual fury of the northeastern monsoon. It was November 2022 and dawn was yet to break over the city. Almost an hour was spent by the conservation architect and the apartment caretaker in the perennial downpour to place bricks over the broken slab spilling out sewage-laden water. Strong winds whipped against the windows in the dotted twinkle of the streetlights; the water on the slope rose to over a foot. The rainwater was trickling into the Adyar River beyond the apartment building.
“If an overnight spell of rain is enough to inundate the streets, what would happen once the sea level rises?” muses the advocate of vernacular architecture. Against this backdrop, climate scientists predict the sea level will gradually rise by a metre or even two by 2100. “It’s time to act. Several low-lying areas could be spotted across Chennai and other cities. Climate change is only making flooding worse. If we do not act now, the landmass will soon be below the flood level. Low-lying areas and floodplains must be elevated,” says Benny.
In cities across India, waterbodies are almost full to the brim. The Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) stormwater drain (SWD) project was envisioned to channel the rainwater as it gets emptied into nearby waterbodies and reduce inundation. But what happens when all the waterbodies get chock-full? In an attempt to avoid any future calamitous events, Benny expounds a meticulous approach that would connect waterbodies to the sea to facilitate a mellow outflow.
Making room
There has been a significant reduction in the area of the waterbodies and the terra firma. The Pallikaranai marsh, for instance, has shrunk to almost one-tenth of its size over the decades. Landfills and industries have cropped up on the marsh over time, adding fuel to the inundation worries. Even the catchment areas of the marsh in Velachery and Madipakkam have been eaten up by new constructions.As a result, the rainwater, which earlier found ample room to flow out, tends to inundate the land, making it harder for itself to empty into waterbodies. Constructions on areas vulnerable to flooding should be avoided at all costs, says Benny.
Between 2006 and 2015, the Dutch redesigned their cities, historically prone to flooding, by implementing the sustainable planning concept of The Room for The River. Enough room was created for rivers to flow, and the spatial aspects of the waterbodies in the project were improved. He highlights that such an initiative to create areas and increase river conveyance to facilitate water flow without restraint is absent in our cities. ‘Zones’ could as well be created, which, in the dry seasons, could be used as playgrounds or parks.
“We need to be in a position where we will be able to predict the intensity of the rain. The low-lying areas must be mapped out beforehand. For instance, 10 cm of overnight rain lashes parts of the city. We should be able to predict how much rainfall Adyar or Velachery would receive, and act accordingly,” says Benny. Such a system, he recollects, is utilised in several European countries. It becomes handy while identifying beforehand the low-lying areas along the banks of rivers. The only way to unclog such areas is to pump out the rainwater in excess. “Unlike olden times, floods have become an annual event and the sudden fluctuations in climate are fuelling irreparable consequences. Do not even think of piecemeal solutions to tackle the crisis at hand. Connect waterbodies to the sea, elevate floodplains, and create areas and enough room for water to flow,” he reckons.
Indigenous ingenuity
Throughout his career, Benny has been advocating indigenous architecture to tackle the climate crisis. Western architecture abounded in wide-scale use of glass and facades let in heat impetuously. Adopting such international designs exacerbates climate breakdown. Instead, thermal comfort or passive indigenous methods such as cross ventilation to keep the room cool should be promoted in India.
“It is not time yet to assess the stormwater drains in Chennai. We need to wait and see if the network of drains withstands the monsoon spell. As a preparatory measure, the authorities should complete the project in time to avoid a flood-like situation this monsoon,” says G Sundarrajan of city-based NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal. Climate change has become the new normal, says the environmentalist, underlining the need to adapt and tackle its adverse effects. “It is quite likely that the waterbodies will be full to the brim as time goes by. The fight to reclaim our landscapes from climate atrocities should begin at household levels. Rainwater harvesting is still being overlooked. Ponds and lakes need to be created; the former could be maintained at household levels,” he adds.
J Radhakrishnan, who recently took charge as the commissioner of the GCC, told TNIE that the possible inundation events will be addressed comprehensively for a permanent solution. “Unfinished works are being expedited to tackle any possible events of inundation. We are also identifying areas that are prone to waterlogging,” says the GCC commissioner.
Before signing off, Benny recalls the post-disaster rehabilitation project he carried out in the tsunami-ravaged villages of Tharangambadi in 2004. Fisherfolk families residing along the coast were relocated, and damaged buildings were reconstructed. Most importantly, the ground level was raised by about 2.5 metres above the sea level, recollects Benny. Elevation, restates the architect, is the buzzword in bypassing flood-like situations. Since planet B is yet to be discovered, it is always better to be on the safer side.