29-05-2025
Chennai Corporation forms technical committee to audit CMRL sites to reduce the risk of flooding this monsoon in all zones
: Owing to the rise in civic issues caused by blocked stormwater drains near Metrorail construction sites, Chennai Corporation has formed a committee to audit the proposed interventions of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), and submit a report for further action to prevent flooding this monsoon.
The civic agency is planning to take steps to divert stormwater, and implement pumping mechanisms to mitigate inundation, ahead of the onset of Northeast monsoon this year.
The committee is expected to begin inspection of sites where residents have called for interventions to reduce the risk of flooding.
Residents have demanded that measures be taken to prevent flooding near sites of underground metro stations in Purasawalkam, Sembium, Pattalam, Otteri, Mylapore, Adyar and Indira Nagar.
Residents of areas such as Sterling Road, Gemini flyover, and Kodambakkam have also flagged the risk of flooding this monsoon.
Last year, residents of more than 21 localities complained about blocked stormwater drains because of CMRL work. The risk of inundation at junctions such as Porur has also been high.
Residents have also demanded interventions to resolve civic issues in the Alapakkam-Porur stretch of Metrorail.
Even though work on constructing the elevated Metrorail stretch has had minimum impact on flood preparedness, experts have called for an alternative to the inadequate culverts to drain stormwater from the western part of Rajiv Gandhi Salai to Buckingham Canal.
They have also stressed the need for sumps, shutter and pumping arrangements along Rajiv Gandhi Salai to prevent flooding.
According to the order issued by Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, the technical audit committee will consist of five members — Gandhimathinathan, Consultant, CRA; Balaji Narasimhan, Professor, IIT-Madras; T. Livingstone Eliazer, Chief General Manager (CGM), CMRL; Palanivel, Chief Engineer-CGM, Tamil Nadu Road Development Company; and S. Rajeswari, Chief Engineer (General), Greater Chennai Corporation.
