Citizens of Chennai are alwaying sharing water woes: water for consumption is scarce in summer; waterlogging is unavoidable during monsoon; waterways are clogged, polluted and destroyed all year around. Seeking short-term solutions for systemic problems has only exacerbated the severity of such waterborne miseries. Comprehensive city planning is the answer to all of Chennai's water problems, say Anandhitha and Madhulikaa, co-founders of 'Thisai', focused on providing a new direction when it comes to finding solutions.
The three major rivers in the city – Cooum, Kosasthalaiyar and Adyar – once attracted a great deal of attention from traders, tourists and devotees. However, the rivers no longer resemble their past forms, and the many subsidiaries and canals have either been flattened and developed into bustling townships or degraded to stinking sewage streams. Their names and histories have been gradually erased from public memory.
The regional water harvesting system, once renowned for its sheer efficacy, has now been systematically destroyed by encroachments and ecological imbalances.
"The metro area is criss-crossed by over 15 major drains, in addition to the expansive Buckingham Canal that runs along the coast … And yet, why? Why is the infrastructure not able to handle the rains?" reads the caption of an Instagram post by 'Thisai', titled 'Arteries of Chennai'.
Anandhitha and Madhulikaa, two architects with a dream to change the direction of urban planning and make cities liveable, launched their initiative 'Thisai' on Instagram earlier this year. Over the past few months, they have produced multimedia reports on various wetland systems in Chennai, seeking inputs from experts, simplifying scientific findings and relating it to everyday issues.
"Architecture goes beyond buildings, it impacts the environment and therefore our everyday lives," says Madhulikaa. 'Thisai' intends to make architecture accessible by looking at how architecture interacts with natural systems in Chennai, she adds. 'Thisai', currently focusing on water systems, intends to cover other city systems such as waste management, energy, heritage conservation, history and culture.
Urban infrastructure is shaped by intentional and accidental actions of several stakeholders – the public, private entities and the government. These actions, when not recognised and evaluated appropriately, often cause greater damage to the delicate balance between coexisting natural and artificial systems. Small, mindless actions snowball into an avalanche, says Anandhitha.
Thisai's recent analysis of Otteri Nullah, a sub-catchment of the Kosasthalaiyar river flowing parallel to the Cooum river from Anna Nagar and eventually joining the Buckingham Canal, reveals that though desilting of the canal and storm water drains are hailed as a popular remedy for canal blockages, identifying site-specific conditions such as flow dynamics will help in formulating a more effective solution.
Madhulikaa says that though the government attempts to take necessary measures towards the preservation of these structures, delays in coordination between departments often render these efforts ineffective, resulting in issues such as urban flooding.
Solid waste is dumped near water bodies, resulting in clogged systems and flooded surroundings. Streamlining the waste management system will help reduce illegal disposal of waste near water bodies, she adds. Additionally, mandatory maintenance work in and around water bodies should be done well in advance and not mere days before the onset of monsoon, says Anandhitha.
While government policies are perfect on paper, implementation is inefficient.
"The government should take responsibility and regulate the use of water bodies. Strict regulations will encourage large-scale public responsibility. The government should also tackle issues based on the order of priority," says Madhulikaa. Rarely does it make sense to construct storm water drains without clearing waterways ahead of the rains.
A thorough solution, 'Thisai' notes, must include both direct interventions and regulatory measures.
Without conscious effort from the public and the government, the work of private entities on these water systems go to waste.
"Many NGOs and individuals undertake desilting and cleaning projects. But within a few weeks, everything goes back to the way it was before," says Anandhitha.
The founders of 'Thisai', both architects, specialise in slightly different methods. Anandhitha holds a B.Arch. undergraduate degree and a Masters’ degree in Sociology, with a background in policy. Madhulikaa holds a B.Arch. undergraduate degree and Building and Urban Design and Development postgraduate degree. Combining their specialised understanding of urban infrastructure and their prior work as students on the river systems of Tamil Nadu, Anandhitha and Madhulikaa work on comprehensive solutions to complicated problems.
The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), it must be noted, lies on a coastal plain, at the mouth of the Cooum river, contained by the rivers Kosasthalaiyar in the north and Adyar in the south. The Buckingham Canal connects the three rivers, running parallel to the coast.
The regional climate is dominated by monsoons – the South-West monsoon from July to September and the North-East monsoon from October to December. The rainwater flows through the floodplains dotted with numerous water bodies – both natural and artificial – and eventually into the Bay of Bengal.