All OSR lands in Chennai to get sumps to conserve rainwater and mitigate floods

State government plans to create sumps on OSR lands to conserve rainwater, control flooding, and boost underground water storage.

The State government is planning to create sumps on all Open Space Reservation (OSR) lands, including parks and playgrounds, to conserve rainwater and control flooding.

A survey of all OSR lands in the city and its suburbs will be completed in a few days for the creation of a huge network of sumps to boost the underground water storage capacity, civic officials said.

Senior officials of the State government have started conducting meetings for flood mitigation in the city and various parts of the State. “The first decision for mitigation of flood in many localities is likely to be the creation of sumps on all OSR lands in Chennai. We will create parks and other civic facilities on top of the sumps,” an official said.

The government is also planning to use appropriate technology to store the water and utilise it during times of scarcity. “The city receives plenty of rainwater during northeast monsoon. But there is water scarcity for several months during summer. This project will increase storage capacity,” an official said.

“The size of the sumps will be finalised based on assessment of the flood level in the area and the groundwater table. Large quantities of water could be stored during heavy rain in the sumps across the city. These underground structures will prevent floods,” he said.

In addition to storage, the sumps will be equipped for pumping out the water in the event of an emergency.

A senior urban planner in the metropolitan area, who created the master plans for the city in 2008, said the plan to construct sumps in parks was not without precedent as the Greater Chennai Corporation Park opposite Valluvar Kottam was actually built on a huge sump created by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, closing it with thick reinforced cement concrete.