Now, Chennai Corporation’s integrated command centre receives instant notifications of waterlogging, helps with quick resolutions

Chennai's ICCC monitored & responded quickly to water stagnation in 3 subzones; 15 zones monitored hourly & updates sent to officials. Rainfall data collected & predicted accurately; moderate to heavy rainfall in 6-7 zones. Commissioner visited ICCC to monitor forecast for Tues. Challenge in areas with multiple depts & strict road cut sanctions.

On the evening of Monday, July 24, 2023, close to 7 p.m., the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Chennai Corporation, received information through visuals and data that three subways in the city had water stagnation. Within one-and-a-half hours the Jones Road subway, Ganesapuram Subway and MC Road subway were cleared of water, and restored to normal. 

In this way, hourly updates are collated from all 15 zones of the Chennai Corporation and a record is maintained, and sent to relevant officials if necessary. Despite the sharp showers on Monday evening and night, no area was severely inundated. When contacted, all three regional deputy commissioners (north, south and central) reported that no major complaints had been received. 

“Every six hours, rainfall prediction is updated, by following the National Centres for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System. We update officials in zones where there is moderate to heavy rainfall.”, said G. Rajeshwari, system analyst who heads the ICCC that provides ward and zone-level data.

In every zone, the Corporation controls two rain sensors that allow them to collect and predict accurate rainfall data. On Monday, rainfall across the zones was light to moderate with a few places reporting moderate rainfall (15.6 to 64.4 mm). Rain sensors at Ice House, Kodambakkam, Maduravoyal, Mugalivakkam, Adyar and Perungudi reported moderate rainfall at around 6 p.m. and by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Valsarvakkam, Alandur and Shollinganallur also reported moderate rainfall.

Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan visited the ICCC late on Monday night to take stock of the rain forecast for Tuesday. “We are noticing that instead of widespread rains, there are intense showers concentrated in some areas,” he said. He added that the real challenge was in areas where multiple departments were carrying out work, and the sanctioning of fresh road cuts was being strictly monitored.