With demands from residents’ associations along waterways in flood-prone areas growing, the Greater Chennai Corporation has asked the Water Resources Department to strengthen embankments along the rivers such as the Cooum to mitigate the problem of flooding.
Members of Residents in Choolaimedu Vinobaji Residents Welfare Association have written to the Corporation to prevent flooding in their area. Similarly, residents on Choolaimedu Vinobaji Second Street pointed to the rising water level in the Cooum and asked the civic agency to take steps to complete the work on embankments. Many residents’ associations have studied the reasons for flooding in their locality and demanded that the civic agencies complete the flood-mitigation projects before the onset of the northeast monsoon this year.
A meeting of the advisory committee on mitigation and management of flood risk in Chennai was held on Tuesday.
The advisory committee is headed by retired IAS officer V. Thiruppugazh. Various projects have been taken up based on the recommendation of the committee.
Officials have stressed on the need for completing the work in flood-prone residential areas before the onset of the monsoon this year. N. Ramalingam (DMK), councillor from Ward 106, said more than 50,000 families along the banks of the Cooum have been affected by floods because of the delay in the implementation of projects, including embankments along rivers and major waterways in the area.
“The previous DMK regime launched flood mitigation measures during 2006-2011 and implemented various projects. But some stretches along the Cooum er and major waterways were not completed in the past 10 years.
“The new council will launch the projects after the various standing committees are formed,” said Mr. Ramalingam.
