The Chennai Corporation has revised the massive project
for flood mitigation in the city, involving construction of new drainage
systems in four basins under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM). A number of stretches have been dropped from
the list of roads that were due to get new stormwater drains.

According
to the revised project report, the allocation for the Chennai
Corporation has been reduced from Rs. 814.88 crore to Rs. 747.64 crore.
The total number of works in the revised project in the four basins will
be 970.

The Chennai Corporation has said that the
project will not be completed before the deadline on account of
roadblocks caused by major infrastructure projects such as Metrorail,
denial of permission by Traffic Police, rising prices of cement,
problems in shifting of utilities, 3500 encroachments, illegal sewer
connections in stormwater drains and elections held last year.

The civic body has been able to complete 25 per cent of the work so far.

Former
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi launched the flood mitigation project for
the city in 2010 and the work was proposed to be completed in three
years.

The Chennai Corporation and the Public Works
Department had come together and chalked out a comprehensive
flood-management plan under the JNNURM at an estimated cost of Rs.
1447.91 crore. The revised project after dropping many stretches will
cost Rs. 1475.43 crore.

The work on biometric
identification of families on encroached drains has also been delayed
because of opposition from residents. The civic body will not be able to
commence work on micro drains without resettlement and rehabilitation
of the families.

The Chennai Corporation has started
using pre-cast concrete for the stormwater drain work to reduce the time
required for completion of the project in many localities. Yet the flow
of sewage because of illegal sewer connections has slowed down the pace
of work.

The civic body is likely to seek approval
from the Union Government for the revised detailed project report to
bring about a permanent solution for the problem of flooding during the
monsoon.