Cyclone Michaung | NGT seeks report on encroachment around waterbodies in Chennai; measures taken to control flooding

NGT orders report on encroachments & action plans to protect Chennai's waterbodies & storage tanks.

Miffed by the anthropogenic contributions to flooding during Cyclone Michaung in Chennai earlier this month, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has called for a detailed report on encroachments around, and shrinkage of waterbodies, and action plans to protect wetlands and storage tanks in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram.

The bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanaraya and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, took suo motu cognisance of the flooding in Chennai and noted that damage to a large number of waterbodies, rivers and flood plains is widely believed to be a significant cause. “No doubt one of the reasons for the floods is extreme weather events but it cannot be denied that anthropogenic commissions and omissions have exacerbated the problem. In spite of the recurrence of the floods, the problem continues to evade a permanent solution,” it said.

Noting that citizens are also equally responsible for taking proper care of natural resources and the agencies responsible for the protection of waterbodies are found wanting, the bench ordered the Chief Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government to file an extensive report on a number of details: how many waterbodies were breached; district-wise encroachments in wetlands, storage tanks, rivers; the nature of the encroachments; plan of action to evict encroachments; extent of wetlands allotted to government departments for building offices or residences; storage capacity of tanks and the extent of shrinkage.

The report will also have to include regulations brought in to protect waterbodies, action taken to delienate buffer zones around wetlands, schemes launched since 2015 to increase the water storage capacity in Chennai, measures put in place by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority or the Directorate of Town and Country Planning to prevent flooding during monsoons, and technical solutions to impound more water in existing waterbodies.

The case has been adjourned to February 1, 2024.