CHENNAI: Construction of all
stormwater drains (SWD)  in the city must be completed by the end of
November, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani has told the
Chennai Corporation.
At a monsoon preparedness review meeting held at Ripon Building on
Friday, Velumani said the Rs 441 crore worth SWD project, which runs for
171 km has to be completed by November 30.“Severe action will be taken
against officials of corporation and metro water, who don’t attend to
complaints received in the grievance redressal centres,’’ said the
minister.  

Under the National Aapda-Mitra scheme
for training volunteers for disaster rescue, the minister presented
rescue equipment worth Rs 5,000 each to 200 individuals in the city, who
were trained at the Tamil Nadu Commando School.

During the meeting, the minister
reviewed a wide range of projects, facilities and measures taken by the
corporation and metro water board. It ranged from SWD, rainwater
harvesting, dengue prevention, extra food stock for monsoon and
completion of recharge well construction.

The ongoing projects the minister
reviewed, were the  SWD desilting project (Rs 12 crore), Renovation
projects (Rs 17 crore), 406 km-long SWD construction along Adyar and
Cooum Rivers (Rs 1261 crore), and the 763 km-long SWD construction along
Kosasthalaiyar River (` 2000 crore).

Further, the minister enquired about the
technology used to remove water hyacinth and silt from canals and
lakes. Enquiring about the status of the restoration of 210 waterbodies
by the corporation, the minister told officials to hasten the
restoration work and deepening of lakes. Officials present said around
37,000 metric tonnes of silt were collected from the drains so far.  

Minister D Jayakumar, R B Udhayakumar and officials from corporation and metro water were present in the review meeting.

‘681 places identified’
As part of the flood prevention preparations, the minister enquired
about the high horsepower motor pumps, super sucker to remove excess
flood water, and generators. The officials said 681 locations of water
stagnation had been identified and measures will be taken to remove the
water clogging.