Police personnel in Chennai are going above and beyond their call of duty during the northeast monsoon. In a bid to ensure hassle-free commuting for motorists and to prevent water logging in north Chennai, the police have coordinated with different government departments and have done a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of localities where inundation is common.
The North Zone police have mapped more than 76 streets in the Madhavaram, Flower Bazaar and Washermenpet police zones, where water logging was common during the previous monsoon. “Every time there is a downpour, it is most often the policemen on the road who try to clear the stagnant water, before the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) staff come, so that motorists do not suffer. So it is important for us to maintain a database of infrastructure and help available in the locality to solve the problem,” said a senior police officer.
The police have identified 21 water logging spots in Flower Bazaar district, 33 in Washermanpet district and 22 in Madhavaram district and have mapped them using GIS. Some of the locations identified in the three police districts are: Prakasam Slaai, Walltax Road, NSC Bose Road, Mannady Metro, Stanley Subway, Maniappan Street, Ambedkar Nagar, Patel Nagar, T.H Road - Periyar Nagar Junction, GNT Road, Madurai Manavalan Nagar and Manali Express Road.
“We have identified the number of manholes in each place, points where traffic diversions will be required, number of pumps, super suckers and fire service vehicles available to remove the water. Our personnel will coordinate with officials from GCC, fire and rescue service and even private mechanics to move stranded vehicles. The map can be updated,” said V. Balakrishnan, joint commissioner of police, North Zone.
The mapping of police quarters and stations that face frequent water logging has also been done. “We have identified a total of 15 of them and out of them, Sathangadu police station and Kondithope police quarters saw some water logging in the 2015 rains,” added a police officer.
