CHENNAI: Apart from creating an effective system to pump out water from designated spots and subways at night, the city corporation has undertaken a slew of out-of-the-box measures to keep Chennai dry this monsoon.
Senior corporation officials said that so far, permanent infrastructure (stormwater drains) has paid off in places such as Seethammal Colony, Adyar, most parts of T Nagar, and parts of Kolathur that were severely inundated in the past such as 70 Feet Road and Paper Mills Road.
“We have been receiving good feedback from the public. With the infrastructure to back us, we are well prepared for the rains. On Sunday, only 114 pumps were used, as opposed to the 700-odd that were used last year. Fewer locations require them this year,” said a senior corporation official.
Other than pumping, a series of steps has been taken to keep the city streets dry. In areas such as Virugambakkam and Kolathur, officials changed the course of water so it took multiple routes, instead of one, to reach the disposal point.
In areas like Aziz Nagar, the drainage basin was changed from Adyar to Cooum. The civic body also created sponge sumps in several areas where water will be retained so disposal points aren’t overwhelmed. In addition, shutters were placed at outfall points to keep water from flowing back to the streets.
A few locations that were not mentioned in the Thiruppugazh Committee report were waterlogged during the rains this year, including a few streets in Pattalam and Pulianthope. To prevent a recurrence, corporation officials said they would approach the advisory committee for possible stormwater drain design interventions in these areas.
Once drains under the Kosasthalaiyar basin are complete, officials are confident that no other interventions would be needed to relieve a large part of North Chennai of waterlogging. In parts of Kolathur, like SRP Colony, Kambar Nagar, and Poompuhar Nagar, drains have been sanctioned but since work on them is yet to be completed, water had to be pumped out from about five streets in these areas on Sunday.
