NE monsoon: Activists urge govt to store excess rainwater

CHENNAI: With the Greater Chennai comprising Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu likely to receive third spell of rains in the coming days, a new challenge is awaiting the Public Works Department and the authorities monitorring the waterbodies.

Several lakes had started overflowing leading to water logging in agricultural field, and residential areas. Environmental activists urged the government to make alternative arrangements to store the water and additional ponds which would help to hold excess rainwater.

Due to intense rainfall in the State last week, waterbodies are overflowing in Tiruvallur district, which flows into the field and damages the crop.

Recently, Velleri Thangal lake, maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD) has reached its maximum storage capacity due to the recent second spell. There was a breach in the bank of the lake, due to which the water flowed into the fields.

After multiple complaints, the revenue department and PWD officers rushed to the spot and made alternative arrangements by placing sandbags, tree branches to stop the water flow into the field temporarily. Though a temporary solution is made currently, people urge the concerned department to construct a compound wall which would prevent water inflow into the agricultural land.

“We need to develop other water recharging structures, which will be beneficial in the long run. Also, it is important to improve the greenery in every place because in the city there is a lot of concrete paving. Even for mild rain it leads to water stagnation. Due to extreme rainfall in recent days, the water bodies overflowed, and the government should develop more ponds, ” said Darwin Annadurai, an activist.

Compared to the previous years, now, the requirement of ponds and lakes has increased, due to the excess rainfall. Public complain that it has become a long pending issue, and the concerned department is yet to address the issue permanently.

When contacted a senior PWD official stated, “Before the onset of Northeast monsoon, a compound wall has been constructed to prevent water flow into the residential areas and agricultural field. Now, we have also kept the sandbags ready to prevent overflow of excess rainwater as temporary solutions.”