Water Resources Department carries out flood mitigation work in the Adyar near Manapakkam

Chennai's Adyar River undergoing flood mitigation project post-Cyclone Michaung to strengthen vulnerable areas and prevent inundation.

Work is in progress to improve vulnerable portions of the Adyar in Manapakkam, which was severely affected due to Cyclone Michaung during December 2023. The project is being carried out as part of flood mitigation measures.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD), the agency working on the project, said work was recently started to strengthen the earthen bund on both sides on a 3.5-km stretch of the Adyar from the airport runway to MIOT bridge. There are plans to construct a retaining wall along the river, which will act as a barrier to prevent water overflowing into low-level areas during monsoons. The retaining wall will be built for nearly 1.2 km in the flood-prone stretches, officials said.

In a bid to alleviate inundation in the surrounding areas, three rainwater collection sumps will be constructed along the river in this stretch to store floodwater collected from storm-water drains in nearby localities. Pipelines to direct the water from the sumps into the river will also be laid. Floodwater collected in the sumps will be pumped into the river by the Greater Chennai Corporation during heavy rain, an official said.

The stored water in the sumps can also be used for irrigating plantations. Watertight shutters in the inlets of the river have also been proposed to prevent backflow of floodwater into the storm-water drain network.

In December 2023, about 5,000 residents in areas, such as Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Nandambakkam, and Riverview Colony, located upstream from the Nandambakkam check dam were badly hit by the floods.

Minister for MSMEs and Rural Industries T.M. Anbarasan on Thursday instructed officials to complete ₹24.8-crore project before the onset of northeast monsoon this year.