WRD to carry out pre-monsoon works in City’s waterways to prevent flooding

Chennai:
The Water Resources Department (WRD) will be carrying out pre-monsoon works in major waterways to manage flooding besides clear debris,solid waste and weed.

Sources in the water resources department said that 58 pre-monsoon works is being carried out at a cost of Rs 3.62 crore in Central Buckingham Canal, Cooum River, Adyar River, Redhills Tank surplus course, Korattur Tank, Korattur Tank surplus Course, Madhavaram Tank, Thanikachalam Nagar, Velachery Tank, Pallikaranai swamp etc in and around Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts till the end of North East Monsoon.
WRD sources said that the dumping of solid wastes and debris and growth of water weeds in the major waterways leads to innundation, spreading of epidemic diseases, damages to infrastructure etc. As a result the waterways have to be cleared of all these as part of the precautionary measure to manage the floods before the onset of the north east monsoon, he added.
WRD sources said that work is already being carried out in North Buckingham Canal, Otteri Nullah and Virugambakkam canal. Sources said that the work of improvement to Central Buckingham Canal, which was administratively sanctioned during 2009 under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Scheme could not be taken up due to encroachment on the banks of the canal. “The proposal for rehabilitation of the encroachers is under consideration. Therefore, premonsoon precautionary works are taken up in the Central Buckingham Canal, he said.

Sources said that initially the proposal was for carrying out 68 pre-monsoon preparedness works at an estimated cost of Rs 4.37 crore. However, the estimate has been restricted to 58 works at an estimated cost of Rs 3.62 crore.
The work has been divided under three divisions. Araniyar Basin division will be carrying out 19 works at a cost of 1.07 crore. Similarly, Kosasthalaiyar Basin Division will be carrying out 25 works at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore while Lower Palar Basin Division will be carrying out 14 works at a cost of Rs 91.80 lakh.