The Greater Chennai Corporation has completed desilting 98% of the 4,254 stretches of stormwater drains covering 697 km, which were identified ahead of the northeast monsoon. The civic body has cleared more than 99% of the 30,797 silt catch pits identified along 2,686 vulnerable stretches in various parts of the city by October 9, ahead of the northeast monsoon.
Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body had started identifying additional stretches, including micro canals for desilting before October 25 in the second phase. Citizens have been requested to report waterlogging issues on helpline 1913 so that the affected stretch could be included in the second phase.
Other government agencies such as the Public Works Department have stationed machinery at various locations to clear bottlenecks in canals. For instance, officials inspected Basin Bridge where machines had been stationed to clear the canal.
“We have adopted two strategies ahead of the northeast monsoon. One is the desilting of stormwater drains and the second is the desilting of silt catch pits. And whatever we planned to do before October 10, we have achieved most of it. There are other drains that are on the second list. I have asked my officers to desilt them also using 1,000 workers from now till October 25. In addition to this, we are in the process of clearing the micro canals,” said Mr. Bedi.
Former councillor S. Mangala Raj said the desilting of stormwater drains had been completed in his ward before the onset of monsoon this year.
Geetha Ganesh of Velachery AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Association said they had inundation issues on Sunday but it was the result of local residents who closed the chute pipes, claiming that there was mosquito breeding. The drains were desilted and the silt catch pits cleared. But some residents are letting sewage in the stormwater drains, clogging the drains after desilting,” said Ms. Ganesh.
The construction of new culverts by government agencies such as Highways Department had not been completed on many stretches such as Poonamallee High Road, causing waterlogging in many areas.
As many as 237 roads were identified as vulnerable within the core city during northeast monsoon 2019 and 2020 due to dilapidated brick and mortar drains constructed three decades ago and the presence of very few new links. Work had to be completed on many such stretches to reduce waterlogging.
Sensors installed
Officials said the civic body had installed flood sensors at 46 locations, flood camera at 68 locations, rain gauges at 30 locations, and environment sensors at 18 locations.
The 46 flood sensors and cameras were installed at Buckingham Canal, lakes, and subways. Two rain guages have been installed at each of the zones.
The 18 environmental sensors had been installed at major vulnerable locations in the 15 zones. All the sensors had been integrated with the command and control centre and officials had started getting alerts. Of the 46 flood sensors, 38 were active and two had been temporarily stopped for bridge construction and six more are to be installed after approval from PWD in lakes, officials said.
