Chennai to get master drainage plan to regulate urban development

After the preparation of the plan, a number of private lands are likely to be taken by the government through land pooling to develop drainage system in Chennai and suburbs covering 4,850 sq. km.

June 05, 2023 10:33 pm | Updated 10:37 pm IST - CHENNAI

Planning approval for buildings will be issued in accordance with the master drainage plan in the four basins of the Cooum, the Adyar, the Kosasthalaiyar and the Kovalam.

Planning approval for buildings will be issued in accordance with the master drainage plan in the four basins of the Cooum, the Adyar, the Kosasthalaiyar and the Kovalam. | Photo Credit: M. KARUNAKARAN

Chennai will soon get a master drainage plan to mitigate flooding and regulate the construction of buildings. The authorities may take the land pooling route to secure private land required to allow water to drain during floods.

“Many people have purchased land in the suburbs. If these lands are part of the natural drainage network, they should be conserved by the government by compensating the landowners. Once the master drainage plan is ready, the lands will be secured by the government and delineated,” said an official.

Pointing to the difference in “urban planning for flood mitigation” between the Second Master Plan in 2008 for Chennai Metropolitan Area and the Third Master Plan 2026, officials said new alternatives would be implemented to secure land that forms part of the natural drainage in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts after the new plan was notified.

Planning approval for buildings will be issued in accordance with the master drainage plan in the four basins of the Cooum, the Adyar, the Kosasthalaiyar and the Kovalam, the official said. “We will conserve the natural drainage, taking possession of the private lands, particularly on floodplains through alternative methods. We have lost flood plains such as Kotturpuram and Jafferkhanpet to unplanned development. So, the damage caused to the property of residents in such areas of the city is high during floods. The new urban development in the city will be based on the master drainage plan,” said the official.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.