The Hindu 30.08.2012
Rs. 3000-crore stormwater project for new zones
1,055 km of drains to be constructed as part of scheme to check water-logging; project report by September 20
The Chennai Corporation is likely to construct a
stormwater drain network, totalling nearly 1,055 km, in the eight added
zones as part of the measures to prevent water-logging.
The
network, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 3000
crore, will cover four basins of Kosasthalaiyar, Adyar, Cooum and
Kovalam. Kosasthalaiyar basin will be divided into watersheds covering
zones such as Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and parts of Ambattur.
Adyar basin will cover zones of Valasaravakkam and Alandur. Stormwater
drain network in watersheds of Cooum basin will prevent water logging in
parts of Ambattur zone and Valasaravakkam. New stormwater drain
proposals in Kovalam basin will benefit Sholinganallur and Perungudi
zones.
The consultant has completed work on final
draft of the detailed project report. The civic body has asked
residents’ associations of the eight added zones to suggest measures
towards any changes in the draft. After taking the suggestions of
residents into consideration, the civic body is likely to finalise the
detailed project report by September 20. The consultant made a
presentation on the project in the presence of senior officials and
residents of Chennai Corporation on Tuesday. The list of water-logged
stretches in the zones to be covered under the project will be finalised
in a few days based on the suggestions.
The
government will make a decision pertaining to funding options soon.
Areas with severe water-logging are likely to receive priority in
implementation of the project.
Construction of many
stretches of the 505-km stormwater drains under Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is under way in remaining seven
zones of Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar, Anna Nagar,
Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar.
According to a
study by the civic body, a chunk of the 2,752-km roads in the
newly-added zones have water logging as the existing stormwater drains
cover a length of 682.4 km only. The proposed design of new drains in
the merged areas will integrate the existing drains.
Among
the eight zones, Ambattur has the largest network of stormwater drains
with a total length of 177.95 km. Zones such as Tiruvottiyur have very
poor stormwater drain network.
Many of the erstwhile
town panchayats such as Sholinganallur, Injambakkam, Semmencheri and
Uthandi, which have been merged with the Chennai Corporation, had
constructed not more than one km of stormwater drain before the merger.
The civic body will focus more on such areas.
Areas
covered by erstwhile panchayats such as Neelangarai, Okkiyam
Thoraipakkam, Sadayankuppam, Kadapakkam, Theeyamabkkam, Vadaperumbakkam,
Surapattu, Kathirvadu and Puthagaram continue to have undeveloped
stormwater network even after the merger.
The civic body is likely to use precast technology for the drain project.