Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru has directed civic agencies to explore the possibility of finding solutions for removing obstructions to the flow of rainwater in areas such as Pallikaranai Marshland. Important drains in flood affected areas of the core city will be developed by September 30. However, most of the drains in added areas will be completed later.
At an inspection of the flood mitigation projects in the city in the presence of Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, Mayor R. Priya and Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Monday, officials said more than 35% of the stormwater drains in many areas had been completed. Officials had been cautious, ensuring that there were no power outages while digging the stretches for development of stormwater drains. As a result, the progress of work was slow.
During the inspection, Perungudi zonal officer briefed the Minister and officials about the Pallikaranai Marshland and Metrowater pipelines obstructing the flow of water and also submitted that there was a similar obstruction behind the National Institute of Wind Energy, wherein only the 45-m stretch in the marshland was available for the flow of stormwater.
Mr. Nehru instructed the officials to temporarily excavate below the pipeline to ease the flow of water.
The Minister inspected stormwater drain work at Murugu Nagar 5th Street. The length of the proposed drain is 170 metre, over 55% of which has been completed. He instructed officials to complete the work before the monsoon.
Officials also inspected a drain passing through a private land into the Veerangal Odai. The officials also inspected stormwater drain work in Mahalakshmi Nagar 8th Cross Street. The progress of work was 32.5%. Mr. Nehru also inspected the desilting work at Brindavan Nagar Main Road in Ward 175. He instructed Mr. Singh to construct a retaining wall with pillars along the stretch for the safety of the general public.
In Velachery lake, the cleaning of water hyacinth will be completed in a week. In Kosasthalaiyar Basin, work on the construction of a canal at Vegetarian Village in Madhavaram zone for the disposal of rainwater is under way. Work between the Retteri surplus and Puzhal surplus canals will be completed shortly. Construction of the canal near Toshiba Company in Manali for discharge of rainwater from Kadapakkam tank to the Puzhal surplus canal is under way. Construction of a drain along Ennore Expressway in Tiruvottiyur zone has been taken up for the discharge of rainwater from Tiruvottiyur to the sea.
