Table report on storm water drains, Court directs Greater Chennai Corpn

The division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad on taking stock of the submissions made regards the storm water drains under construction also directed the SE to submit the entire records pertaining to the estimation and construction of 529 silt catch pits with rainwater harvesting, along with photographs.

The other details sought for by the bench included estimation and the cost of construction of 80 numbers of sunken wells in government properties, which are fed from the drains, rainwater harvesting well created at the inlet points of stormwater drain, which is stated to be at every 30-meter interval of silt catch pits and construction of rainwater harvesting in the parks in the city, with the estimate and expenditure. The bench in its order also held, “If at every 30 metre interval, silt catch pit with rainwater harvesting has to be created in the inlet points of stormwater drain and thus, water is recharged and percolation is permissible, we are of the view that there is no need for construction of Interceptor and Diversion (I&D) works and construction of modular sewage Treatment Plant and Sewage Treatment Plant along the Bank of Cooum River and Adyar River under the Eco Restoration of Cooum River and Adyar River project under Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT). However, the bench during the earlier hearing in the case observed that instead of letting rainwater into Cooum or Adyar Rivers and thereafter treated at sewerage treatment plants, rainwater can be stored at some places and desilting plants can be established.