PWD plans more cut-and-cover drains in Chennai after its success in reducing flood

As the number of buildings are going up over the years leaving few open spaces or agricultural lands, excess water from lakes is inundating roads. This is where cut and cover drains come in handy to divert the water, usually to a nearby waterbody.

“During northeast monsoon, the city suburbs, especially areas near waterbodies, used to be inundated by the excess water from lakes. The cut and cover drains constructed in these places have prevented waterlogging this year. So, we have started constructing such drains in suburban areas, and submitted a proposal to extend the project in various places near lakes,” said a senior PWD official.

Officials are planning to construct cut and cover drains in areas like Nemilicherry, Thazhampoo and Mudichur, where the inflow from nearby lakes reaches 3,000 cusecs. Also, plans are afoot to build additional drains in areas where the existing ones are too small.

“The drains at places like Nanmagalam and Sembakkam are only 3 meters wide. So we are planning to construct additional cut and cover drains so that even if there is heavy rainfall like we received this year, these areas would not face inundation,” said the official.

The department has submitted a Rs 230 crore project to construct cut and cover drains at places including Urapakkam, Irumbuliyur, Perungalathur and East Tambaram, would begin work after getting approval from the government, the official said, adding that it would also remove all encroachments from near lakes to ensure that there were no hindrances to the flow of water.