Cyclone Fengal aftermath: Engineer teams deployed for assessing damage to waterbodies in TN

CHENNAI: To assess damages in the water bodies in the flood-affected districts of the Chennai region and supply channels particularly in the downstream of Sathanur reservoir, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has deployed six to seven teams of engineers from other regions.

According to senior officials, the department has roped in engineers from Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchy regions and engineers from unaffected districts in the Chennai region to carry out the exercise to assess damages.

A senior bureaucrat said, “The heavy downpour due to cyclone Fengal turned the Thenpennai River and its tributaries furious, inflicted serious damages to several water bodies. The worst affected district is Villupuram.” The exercise aims to assess the extent of the damage to tanks and channels in Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore districts in a short time to undertake temporary repair and restoration works. These districts have 13 reservoirs and more than 2,300 tanks.

“The teams will check for any breaches and prepare a list of damages and extent of damages to categorise works for temporary and permanent repair works. Once the situation improves, we will take up similar exercises in the branch channels of the Thenpennai River,” said an official.

Since Villupuram district is the worst affected by the floods, the authorities have assigned more teams to assess the damage there, said a WRD official heading one of the teams. He noted that breaches have been identified in more than 200 tanks and channels in Villupuram district. After a detailed assessment and report are prepared, permanent restoration works will be undertaken.