To bolster transparency, the State government is planning to release a ‘White Paper’ on the Thiruppugazh Committee’s interim report detailing the implementation of suggestions for flood mitigation and the roadmap ahead, according to multiple official sources.
This report is expected to shed light on the actions taken by the local bodies including the Water Resources Department (WRD), Public Works Department (PWD) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), sources said.
The Advisory Committee for Mitigation and Management of Flood Risk in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) was formed on October 22, 2021, as per a government order and former Indian Administrative Services (IAS) official V. Thiruppugazh was appointed to head the panel in November the same year. In May 2022, the committee had submitted an interim report based on their observations on the flood mitigation plans.
An official source linked to Kolathur constituency said the details of suggestions implemented and of the ones to be taken up by the local bodies will be made into a report soon. Notably, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin serves as the MLA for this constituency.. According to this source: “Previously, a consultant studied the recommendations under the Thiruppugazh report. Soon, the details of the report’s suggestions implemented by the local bodies, and the proposal and work that need to be taken up are to be prepared by the same consultant. This information will also be released as a report.”
Sources linked to the Secretariat and State government added that this report is to be made public to ensure transparency. The State is planning to release the information as a ‘White Paper’, i.e., an extensive report, as per the sources.
Earlier, The Hindu reported that the committee is examining 30-year flood data of the Chennai Metropolitan Area for devising effective mitigation measures to tackle heavy and unprecedented rainfall.
Regarding this, sources added that the members of the Thiruppugazh Committee had visited several areas that were inundated to identify the reason for the inundation of particular streets, specifically in the suburbs. After this, further recommendations were put forth based on the observations by members, sources claimed.
Stormwater Drain
Sources claimed that the interim report submitted in May 2022 had mentioned the integrated stormwater drain of the Greater Chennai Corporation. Previously, the Greater Chennai Corporation released details of the status of this work.
