CHENNAI: The Federation of Varadharajapuram Welfare Associations (FEDOVWA) has urged the union and the state governments should jointly carry out the permanent flood prevention works expeditiously.

"For the past eight years from 2015 to 2023, the people of Varadarajapuram have been suffering from the loss of their livelihoods due to storms, heavy rains and floods. More than 20,000 people are living in this panchayat," FEDOVWA president V Rajasekaran and general secretary T Santhanakrishnan said in their representation to the central team making spot assessment of the damage caused by Cyclone Michaung.

Pointing to various measures including widening the Adyar River, strengthening the banks, and constructing sluices after the 2015 flood, it said that however, the flood damage could not be completely prevented. "Due to the current storm and flood, the banks in most of the residential areas have broken and overflowed in some places. Homes were flooded up to 6 feet. The downtrodden and middle-class people are suffering from loss of livelihood. The people of the region are expecting a permanent solution to the flood damage so that such damage does not occur in the future, " it said.

The federation demanded the desilting of the Adyar River every year while increasing the height of the river bank to 10 feet and 16 feet wide. "Retaining walls should be constructed on both sides of the river banks at a height of four feet in addition to the existing height, " they said, demanding an alternative arrangement to take surplus water from Chembarambakkam Lake to the sea through Muttukkadu instead of Adyar river which causes flooding. They demanded the Chembarambakkam lake to be de-silted by four feet to increase its storage capacity.