Waterbodies on the western fringes of the city are getting attention ahead of the northeast monsoon, with many channels that run for over 25 km getting desilted as part of the flood control measures.
According to officials of the Water Resources Department, an eight-km course, carrying surplus water from the Red Hills reservoir to the Ennore creek, was being strengthened. It included vulnerable portions in Baba Nagar. Channels from Ambattur and Korattur lakes are also being improved, they said.
“We have desilted a waterbody in Thangal, Kadirvedu, which link Korattur lake with a waterbody in Retteri. A 15-km stretch of the damaged bund of the Kosasthalaiyar river is also being strengthened and inlet points have been created in 10 places, such as Pudukuppam and Vannipakkam, for the smooth flow of rainwater into the river. About 60 per cent of the works have been completed so far,” an official said.
As part of flood control measures, a meeting, headed by Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar, was held at Tiruvallur District Collectorate, on Wednesday, to review the ongoing works. Earlier, Tiruvallur District Collector E. Sundaravalli reviewed the work taken up by the department to desilt the waterbodies and its surplus courses.
The department is also improving the bunds of nine water tanks in places such as Siruvakkam, Sadayankuppam, Boodur and Melsingilimedu, which were breached during the December floods.
‘Save Korattur Lake’
Meanwhile, Arappor Iyakkam, a citizen’s group, charged that the Corporation had not taken measures to repair and desilt channels carrying surplus water along the Inner Ring Road to Retteri.
The organisation launched the ‘Save Korattur lake’ campaign seeking plugging of sewage outfalls into the waterbody. Encroachments on the fringes of the waterbodies and the surplus course are a major probelm.
Members of the group demanded that measures be taken to prevent sewage release into the Korattur lake by providing regulators and improving all the channels bringing floodwater to Retteri. It is essential to provide stormwater drains in AVS Nagar, Korattur, to mitigate flooding. The culverts in Northern Avenue must be widened to enable the free flow of water in this surplus course, they said.
