GCC to complete work on increasing storage capacity of waterbodies for flood mitigation in Chennai soon

Government agencies exploring the feasibility of issuing notice to apartments, commercial buildings, hospitals and clinics that have been constructed in the waterbodies this northeast monsoon, based on the findings of the Revenue Department

Greater Chennai Corporation is set to complete work on increasing the water storage capacity of several waterbodies in flood prone areas this northeast monsoon, to prevent flooding of residential neighbourhoods.

Regional deputy commissioner (South) M. P. Amith said the GCC will complete work on increasing the water storage capacity in the waterbody by 60% in Valasaravakkam SVS Nagar soon. “The work is underway. The existing waterbody in Valasaravakkam SVS Nagar is 4.15 lakh cubic feet. In 2023 monsoon, the area experienced water stagnation for four days,” he said.

GCC has also planned to link the existing pond to storm water drains from stretches such as Ambedkar Salai in Valasaravakkam.

Once completed, the project is expected to mitigate flooding in SVS Nagar, Jai Nagar, Subramanya Nagar and Ambedkar Salai in Valasaravakkam. The project involves eviction of encroachment.

Alapakkam Lake, once a 57.48 acre waterbody in Valasaravakkam, has been reduced to 9.88 acre. GCC intends to increase the storage capacity of Alapakkam lake from 4.2 million cubic feet to 5.2 million cubic feet.

Once the work is completed in Alapakkam lake, flooding in areas such as Maduravoyal and Valasaravakkam will reduce, officials said.

After the excavation of Thaangal Keni in Sholinganallur, the water storage capacity is expected to increase from 3.25 million cubic feet to 16.25 million cubic feet. The waterbody has been part of the local drainage system covering 1,10,000 sq.m of meikal poromboke land, officials said.

After the water storage capacity of Thangal keni is increased, flooding of areas around Infosys IT Park and Aavin production plant is expected to reduce.

After taking over the maintenance of Airport link road from Velachery to Taramani, GCC excavated two waterbodies with a combined storage capacity of 1.5 million cubic feet. These waterbodies act as a buffer, reducing the risk of backflow and enhancing hydraulic pressure to direct water into the Pallikaranai marshland, said Mr. Amith.

“Temporary structures occupying an area of 13,800 sq.m along the road were removed by the Chennai Corporation, making way for the development of a new waterbody. Shortly thereafter, work began on converting the space into a flood mitigation pond. Chennai Collector’s Revenue team has conducted a comprehensive survey of the area. During this survey, several permanent encroachments such as apartment buildings, private hospitals, and clinics were identified beyond the 13,800 sq.m area where the pond excavation was underway,” said an official.

Based on the findings, the GCC intends to issue notices to these permanent structures via the revenue department, followed by lawful eviction, once the Revenue team’s survey report is finalised.

The work on MRC Pond creation is also expected to be completed shortly.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran said the GCC intends to reshape the city’s network of waterbodies to absorb excess rainwater and recharge groundwater.

Residents in the suburban areas of Chennai have started demanding clearance of encroachments in waterbodies as the flooding in such areas have increased because of encroachments. For instance, residents of Singaperumal Koil have complained about encroachments in the Singaperumal Koil lake opposite the temple near GST Road. Many commercial buildings, including hotels on GST Road and hospitals on the roads that branch off GST Road, have encroached on the Singaperumal Koil lake, increasing flood risk for local residents.

Published - November 17, 2024 06:10 pm IST