Now IIT to give opinion on the impact of truck terminal on flood bowl of North Chennai

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority will now seek Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, suggestion on how the proposed Rs 160 crore truck terminal on a 66 acres marshy land opposite Sathangadu Iron and Steel Market that acts as a natural water course for surplus water from Puzhal lake as well as nearby Burma Nagar will have an impact in the neighbouring areas  

The decision to seek the opinion of IIT Madras  comes as Anna University, which prepared a  feasibility report, has given a green light to go ahead and build the truck terminal on the flood bowl despite Public Works Department giving a conditional approval that the truck terminal should be a elevated one to allow the area to continue to act as flood bowl.

Earlier, the project site was inspected by the housing secretary, who was cautious enough to seek the opinion of IIT, Madras, before giving a nod to go ahead for the project.

It is learnt that Anna University had furnished a feasibility report regarding inundation problem in and around the project site with necessary hydrology and hydraulic study.

Centre for Water Resources in Anna University did the study which included analysis of rainfall data as well as estimation of flood inundation depth in and around the site the container truck parking yard using the hydrological modelling.

 During the 2015 floods, the 66 acres of the proposed site was able to hold 30.18 million cubic feet of water. The proposed site is in between Red Hills tank surplus course in downstream Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri Road to Burma Nagar Road.

The Red Hills tank surplus course starts from Red hills tank and finally falls into Ennore Creek which is marsh land near Sadayankuppam village flowing to a distance of 13.5km. The proposed site starts at the chainage of 12.60km of Red Hills surplus course and further area forms as sheet of marsh lands in which Red Hills surplus water, Kosasthaliyar River and Buckingham Canal spreads during rainy season and flood season.

PWD in its report to the government has warned that if the area was filled with earth, then the entire stretch of water or more in worst flood scenario will be blocked and held up all along the Red hills surplus course causing heavy flooding to areas such as Kosapur, Mathur Baba Nagar, Vadakarai, Gantylon resulting in heavy damages.

As a result, it was decided to construct elevated container terminal by fixing the bottom deck slab level at a height of 4.420 metre and constructing the truck terminal , sources said.