Years of struggle by residents of a few pockets in the western suburbs for improved connectivity between Kundrathur and Sriperumbudur might not go in vain.
The State government proposes to replace the causeway across the surplus course of Chembarambakkam reservoir with a bridge.
Residents of villages and urban pockets near Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of the waterbodies catering to the city’s drinking water requirement, have been finding it tough to reach other parts of the city whenever the lake’s floodgates are opened.
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The causeway, on Kodambakkam-Sriperumbudur Arcot Road (State Highway 113), is just 500 metres away from the sluice gates of the lake. It gets submerged even if a minimum of 300-400 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water is released from the reservoir. (One cusec is equal to 28.3 litres).
Chembarambakkam reservoir gets inflow from Nemam and Sriperumbudur tanks and the Bangaru channel that diverts water from Cooum river and Poondi reservoir.
Once the lake at Chembarambakkam reaches its full capacity, excess water is let into the 15-km surplus course that joins Adyar river, said an official of the Water Resources Department.
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Though a project to replace the causeway with a bridge had been proposed over a year ago, it has been delayed.
According to residents, the causeway is vital for residents of 10 areas, including Sirukalathur, Nandambakkam and Poonthandalam.
M.S. Raja, a resident of Periyar Nagar, Nandambakkam, said public transport connectivity is cut off whenever the causeway gets flooded.
“While some walk over the bund to reach the other side, motorists have to take a detour of 20 km via Chennai-Bangalore highway to reach Porur or Padappai. It takes a minimum of 10 days for the floodwaters to recede,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project is preparing a detailed report to widen Arcot Road into a four-lane stretch. Two four-lane bridges replacing causeways in Kundrathur and Nandambakkam will come up.