Sensors and rain gauges have been installed by WRD or water resources department to monitor and mitigate urban flooding now. This work has been done in several water bodies and rivers across Chennai basin.
In nearly 253 locations across water bodies and waterways spread over 5000sqkm, WRD has begun installing field equipment including automatic rain gauges and weather system, water level recorders, gate sensors etc. Under the Chennai river basin are present water bodies and waterways in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and parts of Ranipet district like Sholiinghur and Kaveripakkam.
Hydro modelling control room:
It was brought out by some officials from WRD that the network would be part of a real time data acquisition system. It is learnt that the data collected from the equipment across Chennai basin would be transmitted to a hydro modelling control room. This room would be set up in the Commissionerate of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management office in Chennai.
Comprehensive and real time data base of the water bodies and the rivers would be available in the control room. Point is that the control room would work as a decision support system to assess and mitigate urban flooding.
It must be noted that the real time data of water level and flow in the catchment areas of Kosasthalaiyar or Adyar would help assess the time frame of flood runoff downstream. The residents as well as the farmers would be alerted in advance. Various government agencies would have access to the database and data dissemination and flood warning would be seamless and transparent.