The Water Resources Department has started the long-pending work to clean the waterways that flow through the core parts of the city. However, residents seek a permanent solution to control flooding during heavy monsoon rainfall.
The department started its annual exercise to de-weed and clear floating waste from the waterways — Buckingham Canal, Otteri Nullah and Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal, a few days ago. There was a delay in starting the northeast monsoon preparedness exercise this year.
Initially, the waterways, running to a total length of 65 km, were to be dredged as part of the restoration projects and the wait for the project to kick off, had led to the delay. With the State government sanctioning ₹3.5 crore, the department has now deployed 26 machines in the three waterways to keep them clear of weeds and floating waste, the officials said.
Of these, nearly 19 machines have been engaged in Central Buckingham Canal to ensure free flow of floodwater during the northeast monsoon. “We have started work in south and north Buckingham Canal as well, with the department’s maintenance funds, in order to reduce water-logging during monsoon,” said an official.
Residents of various parts of the city, however, want a permanent solution to prevent flooding in neighbouring localities.
The Federation of Anna Nagar Residents’ Associations stressed the need to dredge the entire stretch of Otteri Nullah to avoid spill-over of floodwater onto the surrounding areas during a recent meeting with officials of Greater Chennai Corporation. R.Sukumar, the federation’s president said the government agencies must consider desilting vulnerable portions of the channel, apart from desilting stormwater drains (SWD) in Sixth Avenue and Fourth and Fifth Main Road.
The SWD on Fourth Main Road and Sixth Avenue must be linked to a diversion channel conveying floodwater to Cooum River through Third Avenue, Anna Nagar. This would reduce the burden on Otteri Nullah, he said. The Federation also suggested diversion of Ambattur surplus water to the Cooum.
D. Gentley Rathnaraj of Sholinganallur said while a portion of the South Buckingham Canal is being cleaned, it is important to clear the waterway near TNHB 1500 MSB apartments Phase II and TNHB Main Road to provide relief from water-logging.
Officials of the WRD said the monsoon preparedness works would be carried out till the end of the monsoon and short-term flood mitigation measures would also be implemented. However, projects to provide long-term flood mitigation can be executed only in January next year, the officials added.
