Berliner Tageblatt - Chennai Sets ₹100 Crore Flood-Readiness Plan for Vulnerable Areas

Civic agencies in Chennai have begun identifying sites at risk of flooding because of major projects involving Chennai Metro Rail, Tangedco and Metrowater, as the city prepares for the northeast monsoon.

With El Niño intensifying, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay ordered ₹100 crore for comprehensive precautionary measures. Agencies were directed to develop action plans and alternate engineering solutions for vulnerable locations.

Municipal Administration and Water Supply Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi reviewed the preparations at Ripon Buildings on Saturday. Chennai Metro Rail Managing Director Ashish Chatterjee, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran and senior representatives of the Water Resources Department, Highways, the National Highways Authority of India, Tangedco, Metrowater and Southern Railway attended.

The GCC has identified 207 vulnerable locations. Storm-water drains have been constructed at 117, modular storage tanks with high-capacity discharge pumps have been installed at 20, and dedicated motor pumps have been stationed at 48. Officials said alternate solutions would cover the remaining sites.

The ₹100 crore allocation includes desilting storm-water drains, ward-level relief preparation, road restoration and repairs, the purchase and upkeep of heavy-duty pumps and deployment of 1,000 seasonal monsoon workers.

Authorities plan to keep 36 GCC boats and 275 fishing boats on standby with trained operators. The Fisheries Department is arranging the fishing vessels. The city will also prepare 215 flood-relief centers and 111 community kitchens.

Desilting is under way along 1,671 kilometers of storm-water drains and at 110,082 silt catch pits. Heavy equipment, motor pumps and mechanized tree cutters are being readied for emergency deployment.

More than 1,000 general volunteers and 721 residents’ welfare association members have been mobilized. The GCC plans to launch a Volunteer Registration App in the first week of September so residents can enroll directly for relief and rescue work.

The Integrated Command and Control Centre, the 1913 helpline and social-media monitoring teams have been told to address complaints immediately. Of 115 missing links in the drainage network, 42 have been reconnected; officials said the rest would be finished before the monsoon begins.

Southern Railway has completed desilting at three of 28 railway culverts and aims to complete the rest before the rains. Dedicated railway nodal officers have been appointed to coordinate the work.

Workers have pruned 50,625 tree branches to reduce the risk of limbs breaking or trees falling during strong winds.

The Water Resources and Highways departments were instructed to speed up desilting in major rivers and canals and accelerate drainage work along State and National Highways.

Tangedco was asked to raise electrical pillar boxes above ground level, ensure cables are safely underground with no exposed sections and enforce zero-leakage procedures intended to prevent electrocution during floods.

R.Adler--BTB