Flood-mitigation project to gain momentum

The government has released ₹87 crore for the ambitious project

The Greater Chennai Corporation is set to expedite work on the development of integrated stormwater drains in Kosasthalaiyar Basin to mitigate flooding in the northern parts of the city. Work is under way along 1,935 streets and it has been completed in 436 streets.

On Friday, a Government Order was issued for the release of ₹87 crore for the ₹2,470-crore project. The government share for the project is ₹681 crore while the Asian Development Bank is expected to give ₹1,789 crore as financial assistance.

The work has been completed in about 14% of the proposed stretches. The project covers 759 sq km of roads in areas such as Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and parts of Ambattur. It is expected to be completed in three years.

Sivakumar, who has won the Ward 1 in Tiruvottiyur Zone, said the residents had requested infrastructure projects to mitigate flooding in areas of Ennore such as Kamarajar Nagar, VOC Nagar, Nettu Kuppam and Thalankuppam. “During the last monsoon, the residents of the area experienced flooding. Since many of the residents are poor, floods will have a great impact on their lives. Residents are hopeful of speedy completion of projects for mitigation of flooding,” he said.

The work order for 45 packages was issued in January 2021 and one package was issued in December 2021.