Corpn identifies 105 spots vulnerable to flooding

According to officials, the civic body has managed to bring the number of vulnerable spots by one-tenth – from more than 1,000 that there were a few years ago.

At a coordination meeting conducted on Thursday, Chennai city G Prakash instructed the officials from 15 service departments, including Metrowater, CMRL, Highways, Railways and Public Works Department to rectify the issues pertaining to these spots.

Of the identified spots, issues in 52 spots should be attended to by the Public Works Department. “Shops encroaching the bunds of Retteri lake is one of the reasons for the flooding in the locality. Corporation officials, along with the PWD officials, should remove the encroachments before the monsoon,” Prakash instructed at the meeting.

Instructions were also given to desilt the Otteri – Nullah Canal to facilitate free flow of surplus water.

During the meeting,L Nandakumar, chief engineer (stormwater drains), pointed out the small chute pipes on stormwater drains on Anna Salai and other roads where the Metro Rail had constructed the drains. In response, CMRL officials assured that they would replace the pipes to ensure the free flow of water.

Speaking to reporters after the coordination, Prakash explained that the civic body had spent around Rs 2,000 crore in three years to improve drainage infrastructure in Adyar – Cooum basin. “There were more than 1,000 vulnerable spots a few years ago and we have reduced the numbers to 105,” he said.

Meanwhile, the civic body is contemplating to extend the deadline to build rainwater harvesting structures in private buildings in the city. As per the present notification, owners should construct such structures before October.