CHENNAI: In a bid to reduce flooding during heavy rain in north Chennai, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has restored old and unused irrigation channels and converted them into temporary flood-mitigation channels in Madhavaram and Puzhal by linking them with existing stormwater drain networks.
Officials said the move is expected to bring relief to several residential areas that face waterlogging every monsoon.
According to WRD sources, a 2.4km stretch of the channel has been restored and linked with the existing stormwater drain networks. This will allow the diversion of surplus water from Madhavaram tank during intense rain into the Red Hills reservoir’s surplus course and prevent flooding in neighbourhoods, the sources added.
A senior WRD official told TNIE the department had originally proposed a major flood-mitigation project known as the Madhavaram Left Flank Surplus Course many years ago. The plan was to divert excess water from Madhavaram tank and other upstream lakes to the surplus course of the Red Hills reservoir. “But the project has been facing long delays because of land acquisition problems,” the official said.
To ease the pressure this monsoon on the nearby localities that face the risk of flooding, WRD decided to make use of abandoned irrigation canals that once supported farming activities in these regions.
Another official said that several decades ago, these localities were well-connected with an irrigation system, since the majority of the land was used for agriculture.
“With rapid urbanisation, the canals were filled up, flattened or forgotten. Nobody even recognised them as waterways. With help from the revenue department, we identified and reopened these old canals,” the official said.
WRD has also planned to revive more unused irrigation channels in the coming months. Once the revenue department provides the required land records and clears boundaries, the department will begin work on creating additional flood-mitigation routes, officials added. These channels will help divert surplus water quickly and reduce the pressure on existing drains.
Officials added that no special fund was allotted for the work. The department used its existing manpower, machinery and local resources to lay out channels and make them functional before the heavy rain.