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Time of India

Flood mitigation work eludes south Chennai, residents live in dread

Chennai: South Chennai may experience severe flooding as key lakes remain choked with silt and lack outlet channels. No flood-mitigation or desilting work was carried out in lakes maintained by the water resources department (WRD), and most waterbodies remain clogged with silt and without proper outlet channels. This raises fear that Thazhambur and neighbouring areas could get inundated if heavy rains lash the city. When the area was inundated during the monsoon seasons in 2020 and 2021, multiple petitions were filed to construct a channel for the free flow of excess rainwater from the lakes, said Bhuvana Raj, a resident of Thazhambur and member of FOMRA. "After our persistent petitions, the govt announced a cut-and-cover drain to bridge the missing link between Madurapakkam odai and the Perumbakkam marshland. In 2023, the project stopped work due to Cyclone Michaung. Now, despite repeated follow-ups, the work is yet to be completed," Raj said. WRD did not comment despite repeated requests from TOI. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Gold Rates Today in Chennai | Silver Rates Today in Chennai Residents say every year since 2020, water from neighbouring lakes floods the Thazhambur area during monsoon as water bodies are not desilted. In 2023, it took nearly a week for the excess water to drain from the locality, they said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Officials inspected the area but failed to take concrete action. "In 2024, the rainfall was relatively low in this area. So we could not assess whether the cut-and-cover drain was functioning properly. We must wait until this monsoon to see whether the drain is effective," added Bhuvana. Now, excess water from Thazhambur is drained through a small channel running through Ezhil Nagar and Jawahar Nagar, which joins a larger channel outside DLF carrying huge volumes of water before flowing into Perumbakkam marsh. Residents say a comprehensive water management plan is needed to handle lake surplus and runoff water in the area. "Instead of adding more load to Perumbakkam marsh, from where water runs up to Pallikaranai marsh and then to Okkiyam Maduvu before entering the Buckingham canal, water can be diverted directly to the Buckingham canal across OMR," said R Dwarakesh, a resident of Sholinganallur. Locals point out that the Thazhambur area, including the proposed Sports City site, is especially vulnerable. The Valvetti lake, close by, has not been desilted for years, and excess rainwater is forced through a single narrow channel. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.