The channels criss-crossing Porur, Kolapakkam and nearby areas may soon be rid of filth and floating garbage. Work to clean these waterways carrying surplus water to Adyar river is set to begin in a couple of days.
The Valasaravakkam and Manapakkam-Porur belt was one of the worst affected in the last year’s floods, recall officials of the Chennai Corporation. In a bid to minimise flooding during the ensuing northeast monsoon, the civic body has identified over 310 vulnerable points and missing links in the stormwater drain network. Of these, 80 per cent are found to be in areas such as Mugalivakkam, Porur and Manapakkam. Work has been taken up to fix damage to the stormwater drains in localities such as Manapakkam Main Road and Madha Nagar Main Road, Mugalivakkam. However, work to complete construction of stormwater drains will take two years.
Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department (WRD) is preparing to desilt and de-weed the canals passing through areas such as Manapakkam, Kolapakkam and Mugalivakkam. Floating garbage poses a constant challenge throughout the monsoon. Work to clean them will begin in few days, said officials of the WRD. The Manapakkam and Kolapakkam channels, located downstream of Chembarambakkam reservoir, were recently widened at vulnerable points. Both the channels carry floodwater from the neighbourhood and the surplus of Porur lake for a distance of 10 km before draining into the Adyar.
“We have also replaced pipe culverts with box culverts to enable easy flow of flood water in places like Ganesh Nagar and Maxworth Nagar in Kolapakkam,” an official said. While surplus channels are being cleared of obstructions, desilting Porur lake is not possible due to its water storage.
