On residents’ request, GCC, WRD to initiate embankment projects along waterways in city

CHENNAI

Owing to demands from residents’ associations along waterways in flood prone areas, Greater Chennai Corporation has asked the Water Resources Department to develop embankments along rivers such as Cooum to mitigate flooding.  Members of Choolaimedu Vinobaji Residents Welfare Association have written to the Greater Chennai Corporation to prevent flooding in residential areas this monsoon. Residents on Choolaimedu Vinobaji Second Street pointed to the flooding of the areas caused by the rise in water level in the Cooum River and asked the civic agency to take initiatives to complete the development of embankments along the Cooum. Many residents associations have studied the reasons for flooding in their locality and demanded the civic agencies to complete the local flood mitigation projects before the onset of the Northeast monsoon this year.  

A meeting of the advisory committee on mitigation and management of flood risk in Chennai was held on Tuesday. The advisory committee is headed by retired IAS officer V.Thiruppugazh. Various projects have already been started based on the recommendation of the committee.

Officials have also stressed on the need for completion of flood mitigation work in flood prone residential areas before the onset of the monsoon this year. 

Ward 106 DMK Councillor N.Ramalingam said more than 50,000 families along the banks of Cooum River have been affected by floods because of the delay in the implementation of flood mitigation projects including embankments along rivers and major waterways in the area. “The previous DMK regime launched flood mitigation measures during 2006-2011 and implemented various projects. But some stretches along the Cooum river and major waterways were not completed in the past 10 years. The new council will launch the projects after the various standing committees are formed,” said Mr.Ramalingam.