New infrastructure developed by the Greater Chennai Corporation to restore waterbodies has collapsed at a few locations owing to Cyclone Nivar.
The Corporation has started assessing damage to its infrastructure after residents reported civic issues in the vicinity of the waterbodies. They requested civic officials to restore the infrastructure to prevent flooding in the neighbourhood. For instance, residents near the Patravakkam tank in Ambattur Estate North Phase reported that it had been damaged.
‘Risk is high’
“Our houses will be affected if there is another spell of rain. We request the Corporation to restore the area immediately. Children who go near the tank may get buried in mud. The risk is high,” a resident said.
Corporation officials said the damaged waterbodies would be restored and that officials of the Smart City Project had been asked to assess the condition of the waterbodies’ infrastructure.
The civic body has identified 210 waterbodies for restoration. At least 33 waterbodies were restored recently and inaugurated for residents in the localities. Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash asked residents to inform civic officials about waterbodies that were yet to be restored.
The civic body has installed sensors at various locations in the city to monitor flooding using the integrated command and control centre in the Ripon Buildings. “We have 38 sensors to monitor flooding in waterways. Out of the four mouth points near the seashore, sensors have been installed at Napier Bridge across the Cooum river, the Adyar river and Ennore. The flood sensors at Muttukadu will be installed shortly,” a Corporation official said.
“This time the flood level in the city was not alarming. We were monitoring it,” he added.
