Metro rail has put in place equipment to protect Ripon Buildings from inundation this monsoon.
Following flooding of the premises with the onset of the northeast monsoon, the Chennai Corporation asked Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) to shoulder responsibility of draining the water. “Equipment has been installed to bail out water from the Ripon Buildings premises. The arrangement will be in place throughout this northeast monsoon,” said an official of CMRL.
The Ripon Buildings is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture with a combination of Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian styles. The 99-year-old building is being renovated at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.7 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to preserve the original glory of the building.
According to Chennai Corporation officials, the barricades created for metro rail work on three sides of the Ripon Buildings premises are preventing stagnated water from flowing into the storm water drain network.
As the inundation of the Ripon Building premises is likely to have an impact on its stability and prevent access to the heritage building, Corporation officials asked CMRL to bail out the water.
Civic body officials are likely to reiterate the need for removing barricades in some localities that are prone to water stagnation during cyclones associated with the monsoon. It had already requested CMRL to remove barricades likely to be a hindrance to free flow of water on arterial roads.
At a monsoon preparedness meeting a few weeks ago, Corporation officials pointed to the fact that most of the outlets, every 100 metres, in medians of roads for draining of excess rain water were missing on account of metro rail work. CMRL officials at the meeting assured that they would remove all barricades that hindered flow of water at the onset of the northeast monsoon.
CMRL is also planning to complete work with regard to the creation of pipeline facilities for transferring additional subsoil water during construction of underground Metro stations during the monsoon.
