Any reported inundation are being cleared within an hour, civic body ready to tackle monsoon, says GCC Commissioner

GCC clears inundation in an hr; 11K storm-water drains, 35K roads, 186 ponds, 15 temple tanks monitored; 23K workers deployed; encroachments removed; zonal-level tenders for pothole filling; ICCC using sensors to monitor water level.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is clearing any inundation reported across the city in an hour and is prepared to tackle any situation resulting from heavy rain, GCC Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan told reporters on Sunday, November 5.

Since the onset of the northeast (NE) monsoon on October 22, the civic body has been vigilant, focusing on 35,000 roads, totalling to 5,800 km in length, and 11,000 storm-water drains, he said.

Mr. Radhakrishnan outlined that the storm-water drain work at a few locations, including missing links at 30 spots, covering 3 km, were pending. Of this, 1.2 km has been completed in areas, including E.V.R. Periyar Salai, Walltax Road, and Guindy’s Olympia Tech Park. “Works completed on Rajaji Salai and NSC Bose Road and 5 m of linking work pending at a few spots are being looked into,” he added.

To understand the flow of rainwater, GCC has flood-charted the city — routine runoff, storm-water drain, drainage system, the basins – Adyar, Kovalam, Cooum, Kosasthalaiyar – and canals, including Buckingham Canal, 22 canals under the Water Resource Department (WRD), and 33 under the civic body.

He told media persons: “For example, the water has to flow through the SIET College area, near the Chief Minister’s residence, to reach the next location, so this spot will have ankle-deep inundation. But inundation in any part of the city is cleared within an hour of being reported. Pumps were used on Angalamman Street and in T. Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur bus stand to clear excess water.”

In the past two and a half years, numerous sprawling encroachments have been removed and extensive restoration works, facilitated by organisations, such as the WRD and Chennai River Restoration Trust, are ongoing. Challenges, such as temporary blockage at Otteri and sand dumping by GCC contractors in Mambalam, have been resolved.

The civic body has initiated zonal-level tenders for pothole filling and deployed 23,000 workers, including 10 workers in each ward, to address rain-related grievances, Mr. Radhakrishnan said. He mentioned that the GCC was equipped to handle monsoon-related challenges through routine meetings at both the zonal and higher levels, monitoring water level through the integrated command and control centre (ICCC) using sensors, and desilting 11,000 storm-water drains, including the 876 added as recommended by an expert committee, 186 ponds, and 15 temple tanks.