The Water Resources Department (WRD) has started work on clearing various waterways in five districts, including Chennai and Cuddalore, ahead of the onset of northeast monsoon.
This year, some vulnerable portions of the city’s waterways would be dredged to remove accumulated waste and mud from deeper portions, the officials said.
A portion of the Buckingham Canal will be dredged for 300 metres at its confluence point with Otteri Nullah where silt accumulation is reported to be high. This would ensure free flow of floodwater and prevent inundation of the surrounding areas, an official said.
Floats would be used to clear obstructions in the narrow portions of waterways, including Buckingham Canal, Veerangal Odai, Perumbakkam channel and channels linked to the upper reaches of the Adyar, the officials said.
A Government Order has been issued sanctioning nearly 122 schemes to be taken up in places in and around Chennai at a cost of ₹20 crore. Of these, nearly 50 schemes would be executed in Vellar Basin circle in Cuddalore district as part of monsoon preparation work.
While a majority of the work would focus on clearing the debris, silt and weeds in surplus courses and tanks, surplus courses, including Nerkunapattu tank, would also be desilted and widened in Chengalpattu district.
Various waterbodies, including Adambakkam, Korattur, Nanmangalam, Ambattur, Velachery, Madipakkam and Kovilambakkam tanks, will be cleared of weeds and floating waste. This year, vulnerable portions of major reservoirs — Chembarambakkam and Red Hills — have been included for removing vegetation in water spread area apart from clearing their surplus courses, the officials said.
Maintenance of flood regulators in different waterbodies and channels such as Nandivaram, Adanur, Adyar river zero point and Narayanapuram would be taken up under the monsoon preparation drive.
The mouths of the Cooum and the Adyar rivers would be widened to ensure smooth flow of floodwater till the year-end. Similarly, machinery would be deployed to cut open Muttukadu sea mouth and Pudupattinam sea mouths and the confluence point of the Araniyar and sea at Pulicat lake and clear sand bars till the year-end.
Officials recalled that last year, 95 schemes were executed as part of pre-monsoon work at a cost of ₹11.7 crore. “We have provided a list of additional work to be executed to clear the entire length of surplus courses in some places, instead of vulnerable stretches alone like Red Hills surplus course,” said an official.
In Cuddalore district, the Kollidam would be cleared of obstruction and its embankments strengthened in various areas apart from cleaning of several channels, including Karungali channel, in Chidambaram taluk. The work would continue till the end of northeast monsoon, the officials added.
