Mambalam Canal work to be completed in June

Officials say better design of the canal near the Adyar river and engineering solutions with innovations would be implemented to prevent flooding in T. Nagar and its surrounding areas

Work on the restoration of Mambalam Canal is expected to be completed in June, the officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation have said.

After the northeast monsoon 2022, the Corporation resumed work on important smart city projects such as Mambalam Canal restoration. During the 2021 monsoon, the civic body decided to shelve some of the components, including cycle tracks, along the Mambalam Canal, and focussed on flood mitigation. 

Once the restoration of Mambalam Canal is completed, flooding of areas such as T. Nagar is expected to be reduced. Better design of the canal near the Adyar river and engineering solutions with innovations would be implemented, the officials said.

In July, the Corporation Council passed a resolution to revise the Mambalam Canal restoration project, dropping proposals such as development of a bicycle track, a shared pathway, a park and fixing of top slabs. The lessons learnt in the northeast monsoon 2021 led to shifting of focus from beautification to flood mitigation in T. Nagar, officials said.

Electrical work and landscaping from Vidyodaya Main Road to Thyagaraya Road for a length of 1.75 km at an estimated cost of ₹5.5 crore were some of the proposals dropped. Similarly, smart city projects such as green building on the premises of Ripon Buildings will be completed in June. The green building will have an innovation hub and service centre for residents.