Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Smart Watch for Men (Answer/Make Calls) Buy Now
CKKM Men's Waterproof Hiking Shoes Buy Now
Women's Boho Palazzo Pants Buy Now
Duduma Polarized Sports Sunglasses Buy Now
Viking Revolution Sea Salt Hair Spray Buy Now
Phoenix Bracelet Buy Now
J.VER Men's Dress Shirts Buy Now
Silk Satin Floral Shirt Buy Now
Rimless Rectangle Sunglasses for Men Buy Now
Ginasy Faux Leather Leggings for Women Buy Now
Men's Slim Fit Dress Pant Buy Now
Mens Fashion Henley Shirt Classic Buy Now
The Ultimate Fitness Journal Buy Now
Sunzel Flare Leggings Buy Now
Mommy & Me Pajamas Buy Now
London Fog Men's Auburn Golf Jacket Buy Now
Google Pixel 6a Android Phone Buy Now
Dokotoo Pants for Women Buy Now
Dead Sea Mud Mask for Face and Body Buy Now
Comfort Flex Waist Jean Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
Managing Chennai monsoon

Managing Chennai monsoon

The Hindu
Friday, October 18, 2024 10:15 AM GMT

Chennai requires a new imagination of its relationship to the unpredictable showers, the sea, and its water reservoirs. Here are five takeaways from the recent rains

Over the past few years, Chennai has continued to receive unprecedented rainfall during the annual northeast monsoon. Sudden bursts of increased rainfall, with large volumes of water in very short spans, often result in urban floods, revealing the city’s vulnerability. Confronting the challenges of climate change, Chennai needs to find a solution that primarily enables its water reservoirs to absorb, store or recharge groundwater. The focus shifts to the imperatives of organised urban planning and the need to protect and rejuvenate Chennai’s water reservoirs — Pallikaranai marsh, Ennore creek and other large reservoirs such as Chembarambakkam lake and Red Hills lake.

The organic and rapid growth of the city has disrupted the natural hydrological cycle with the expansion of concrete and tar-paved surfaces, indiscriminate constructions and felling of trees and vegetation. Environmentalists suggest that this could be some of the many reasons behind urban floods, besides augmenting the capacity of the three rivers and their reservoirs — Adyar, Cooum and Kosasthalaiyar. The city requires a new imagination of its relationship to the unpredictable monsoons, the sea, and its water reservoirs.

Over the last three decades, Chennai has been at the forefront of rainwater harvesting. The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) provides detailed information about water harvesting and its relationship to floods. These are open-source documents that can be accessed online. (www.cmwssb.tn.gov.in/rain-water-harvesting) Chennai’s history indicates that well-designed rainwater harvesting systems, following safety standards, can substantially absorb excess rainwater and minimise the adverse impact of floods. Public awareness on waste disposal, preparedness and water conservation practices are essential to address climate-induced calamities and build resilience.

In the face of heavy rains, residential complexes and institutions have begun to construct rainwater harvesting wells, as well as renew existing ones that have been defunct. The initiative, however, needs to be more widespread recognising its intrinsic benefits. It is a pragmatic indication to new apartment complexes, to be more diligent and provide for well-designed rainwater harvesting pits that collect excess rains to permeate the soil. The CMWSSB guidelines suggest that water collected from the terraces can be directed through a filtration process into storage tanks. While it can considerably reduce the floodwaters, it assures a long-term water security to Chennai.

Integrating these aspects into the Third Masterplan, presently under preparation by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, could strengthen the city’s capacity to address urban floods. It has several other ancillary benefits such as reducing urban heat, recharging groundwater, and minimising the ingress of brackish seawater. Apartment complexes that have recharged groundwater, through rainwater harvesting, have discovered an improvement in water quality. Over the past decades, innumerable studies by CMWSSB have indicated the effectiveness of rainwater harvesting in reducing flood water volume and stopping water logging of roads. Large education campuses can contribute to augmenting and recharge of groundwaters. However, it’s a greater challenge to address and mitigate the impacts of such cataclysmic rains.

Public awareness about designing permeable, porous pavements and surfaces can encourage and allow rainwater to infiltrate the soil and recharge groundwater naturally — urban parks and gardens, porous pavements, retention wells, and green roofs. Permeable pavements and surfaces have had a significant impact on reducing urban heat as well. While much of these details are known, their dissemination could ensure effective adoption.

Drawing from urban lessons of medieval Madras, these elements of rainwater harvesting can be combined with Chennai’s road network and its stormwater drain system — to assist in the natural flow of water into rivers and rejuvenate the lakes and other water reservoirs, through a natural process. Stormwater channels have also been equipped with filtration and recharge wells in the city today. A pragmatic neighbourhood approach, scientifically undertaken, ensuring surface and drain slopes and levels, requires a monitoring committee, including neighbourhood citizen groups, to coordinate the efforts. Digital technologies and apps, documenting citizen data of inundation, flooding, and other issues can empower a citizen-based participation and aid the planning process, providing local data. Low-lying areas would undoubtedly require more concerted efforts in infrastructure investments and planning.

Read full story on The Hindu
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Urban gardening in Visakhapatnam: A community-driven movement for sustainability and seed preservation

Discover the community-driven movement of urban gardening in Visakhapatnam, promoting sustainable practices and seed preservation

Saira Banu’s ancestral home in Delhi’s Ajmeri Gate is an echo from the past

The childhood home of Saira Banu in the bustling lanes of Ajmeri Gate within the Walled City of Old Delhi is a piece of history crushed between memory and decay

Jeff Bezos-backed $88 million methane tracking satellite is lost in space

MethaneSAT lost in space, EDF continues tracking methane emissions to combat global warming.

How does a telephone intercom function in an office setting?Premium

EPABX system facilitates seamless internal and external communication in businesses, evolving from electromechanical to digital switching technology.

Why are Indians so angry about Prada’s ₹1.2 lakh Kolhapuris?

Prada’s ₹1.2 lakh Kolhapuri chappals have sparked outrage in India, raising questions about cultural appropriation, pricing, and artisan recognition

Marathoner Ashwini Bhat on running the ultra mile

Ashwini Bhat talks about her journey in setting the national record for women in the Backyard Ultra 2025

Track-bred Titans: Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ and GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ debut in India

Mercedes-Benz introduces the latest AMG GT coupés, blending motorsport technology with elegance, setting a new performance standard in India.

Queering the culture | How LGBTQIA+ creatives are reclaiming heteronormative spaces Premium

LGBTQIA+ creatives share how they are reclaiming their identity in heteronormative spaces, and why there is a need for more conversations

Axiom-4 mission: Shubhanshu Shukla to interact with students via ham radio on July 4

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to connect with UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru via ham radio from ISS on July 4.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Axiom-4 mission : Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s stay in ISS extended, NASA says crew to undock on July 14

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and crew to return from ISS on July 14, following successful Axiom-4 mission.

Savan Kotecha on new boy band ‘OutStation’, working on Ed Sheeran’s ‘Sapphire’, and more

Music producer and songwriter Savan Kotecha launches India’s newest teen boy band, OutStation. He tells us about working on Ed Sheeran’s hit song ‘Sapphire‘, and his record label’s work on the animated film ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’

Intercontinental optical clock comparison sets stage to redefine the second Premium

World's largest clock comparison paves way for redefining second standard with optical atomic clocks by 2030.

Axiom-4 mission: Shubhanshu Shukla studies bone health, radiation exposure on ISS

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla conducts bone and radiation experiments on ISS, advancing space health and research.

Phantom threads | Behind the restoration of the 150-year-old jamas of the Maharawals of Dungarpu Premium

Two stunning 150-year-old royal muslin jamas, a restoration that took years, and a showing at the palace museum

How does a digital barometer work? Premium

Barometers measure pressure using fluid columns or MEMS technology, with digital barometers found in modern devices like smartphones.

Missed flights, multiple layovers and surprise stops: My journey from Chennai to Vegas and back

What can go wrong on my first-ever trip outside of Asia? Nearly everything, I discover. But not without unexpected silver linings, which include an unexpected breakfast in London en route to Vegas and lunch in Los Angeles on the way back home

The Traitors India and Squid Game — one show rewards deceit, the other punishes hope Premium

It’s the season of shocking twists, savage exits, and friendships turned fatal

Bubbles & Bobas: The history behind the tea and understanding what’s actually in it!

Discover the fascinating history of boba, a popular Taiwanese creation with multiple flavors and a global following.

Why don’t birds get electrocuted on wires?

Discover why birds don't get shocked on power lines and how electricity flows through wires to prevent accidents.

Modest fashion options in Kochi extend beyond just abayas and burqas

Discover the evolving world of modest fashion in Kerala, from traditional abayas to trendy, diverse clothing options.

World’s largest digital camera starts observing the cosmos Premium

World's largest digital camera observes cosmos, capturing detailed images of galaxies, asteroids, and stars changing brightness.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us