Water Resources Department begins demarcation of Virugambakkam- Arumbakkam canal boundary

Work on measuring the space has been completed on nearly 3.5 km stretch of the canal and will be completed in a week, say officials of the Water Resources Department

The Water Resources Department (WRD) has started work to demarcate the boundary of Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam canal to identify encroachments. This is part of the plan to widen the canal.

The 6.3-km-long canal originates near Nerkundram, passes through various areas such as Koyambedu, Arumbakkam and Choolaimedu before joining the Cooum. For a few days, walls of some of the buildings near the canal had markings in blue that indicated the space available for widening the canal. Officials said work to measure the space belonging to the canal had been completed on a stretch of nearly 3.5 km.

Space measuring between two metres and 30 metres in areas such as Sai Nagar and Majid Nagar has been identified that could be used to widen the canal. The canal has shrunk in size to 8-10 metres in some places, including Arumbakkam. Encroachments are being enumerated, including in Neer Nilai (waterbody) poramboke lands, said an official.

At present, the canal has a capacity to carry 1,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water. It had drained nearly 650 cusecs in the Cooum river during the recent rain. When the project to improve the canal is completed, it may be able to carry triple the quantum of water than what it carries at present. The work is being carried out under the aegis of Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust.

The work to demarcate the canal’s boundary is expected to be completed in about a week, the officials said.

The department is mulling construction of another straight cut channel from the canal for smooth draining of surplus flood water into the Cooum river. This would help prevent waterlogging in several areas such as Sai Nagar and Railway Colony. However, the route of the canal, its feasibility and design would be decided after a study, the officials said.