Flood mitigation project of GCC to take off soon
Posted on: 03/Aug/2019 9:51:44 AM
In 6 months of time, the ambitious Rs 3000 crores project to implement a comprehensive flood mitigation project for GCC or Greater Chennai and its peri-urban areas of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts would begin. Recently, the central government gave its nod to the proposal and even recommended it to the World Bank for the sake of loan assistance is known. For the purpose of funding, DPR or detailed project report has been submitted to the World Bank.
It should be taken into account that this project was proposed by Commissionerate of Revenue and Disaster Management would cover other vulnerable coastal districts like Cuddalore, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram etc. Vulnerabilities of several localities to the floods would be reduced and this would happen when various projects in different river basins including lower Palar, Araniyar and Kosathaliyar gets implemented. To cater the drinking water needs of Chennai and its fringes, an additional storage of nearly 4.76 thousand million cubic feet would also be created. This was according to some sources belonging to the WRD or Water Resources Department.
Point is such interventions would not only lessen floods but also play a huge part in the strengthening the Chennai city�s capacity to tackle drought. Information collected is besides forming new reservoirs to store surplus flood water in Adyar and Kovalam basins, riverine reservoirs would also be constructed in major waterways including Adyar River and an amount of Rs 80 crores would be spent. On the stretch of the river near Adhanur, Somamangalam and Varadharajapuram etc, these structures would be making their presence felt.
For the purpose of reviving the storage capacity of the water bodies that are owned by the department in south Chennai such as Narayanapuram and Kovilambakkam etc, deepening would be carried out in the water bodies. This was as per the sources belonging to WRD. To control the pollution of the lakes, bio-remediation efforts would be initiated. The point to be noted is there would be improvement in the waterways of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts and this would be by the construction of flood protection walls.
For the sake of bridging the missing links in surplus channels and lessen water logging in the neighboring areas, nearly 21 cut and cover macro drains would be constructed between the water bodies. It is important to mention here that macro drains would be constructed to carry surplus water from the water bodies in Irumbuliyur and Peerkankaranai to the Adyar River.
To enhance ground water storage and recharge, various structures such as check dams, recharge wells and sub-surface dykes would be constructed in the rivers as a part of the project. It is brought out that the government agencies have also incorporated features to lessen the impact of climate change on the water bodies.
