Cut-and-cover drain in Chitlapakkam reduced flooding by 75 percent

But after the construction of the drain, the waterlogging has come down by 75 per cent. Residents have urged the government to provide similar drains for a few streets where there was flooding during the recent rains.

“Earlier there was no cut-and-cover drain and the entire Chitlapakkam used to get flooded even during a moderate rainfall. The situation turned worse during the Chennai floods in 2015. So we took up the issue with the respective department in 2015, and the scheme was evolved. Again, in 2017, we faced a similar problem after which the cut-and-cover drains were formulated. After the construction work is completed, the flooding reduced by 75 per cent,” said P Viswanath, a resident of Babu Street at Chitlapakkam.

The cut-and-cover drain is constructed under the road, allowing rainwater to make way through the drain into Sembakkam lake. Earlier, after the rainfall, floodwaters used to enter houses and cause damage to properties. However, 25 per cent of areas such as Tirumurugan Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar, Bharat Avenue, Tagore Street, Chokkanathar Street, and Jawahar Street got still flooded during the recent rains. Locals have urged the government to provide drains there too.

“When the surplus water from Selaiyur and Chitlapakkam lakes overflow, it causes flooding in our streets. And we are facing this issue since 2015. The government had constructed cut-and-cover drains in some areas. More than seven streets still face waterlogging and this year it has turned even worse. We urge the departments concerned to start construction work of drains at the earliest,” said Pandian M, another resident of Chitlapakkam.

A senior PWD official said the cut-and-cover drains won’t be necessary for all the streets in the locality. “To prevent flooding in such areas, encroachments are being removed as part of the restoration work from near the water bodies where a path needs to be created for proper water flow,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Chitlapakkam lake restoration work is expected to be completed in two months.