Corporation reviews monsoon preparation, allots Rs 20 crore to desilt 7,351 drains

During the review meeting, presided by Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, it was decided to allocate Rs 20 crore for the desilting of the existing 7,351 drains along 1,894 kilometre of the stormwater drain network. “Drains that are damaged and those which are in bad condition will be repaired. Drains without connections will be attended, too. In addition, the water hyacinth and silt will also be removed from the major canals in the city using machines. The Corporation has acquired an amphibian vehicle from Finland at Rs 4 crores and three robotic excavators from Switzerland at Rs 19.5 crores,” said the Minister.

The minister also added that a team comprising an engineer, health inspector, deputy revenue officer, police inspector, assistant engineer from stormwater drain department and an assistant engineer from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) would be formed in each ward, which would be available round-the-clock to deal with complaints during the monsoon period. 

In addition, the review meeting also addressed the disaster preparedness of the civic body in the event of flooding during the monsoon season. In low-lying areas, facilities such as community halls and schools have been identified and cleaned up to set up camps. Pumps and generator sets have been kept handy to drain water from the roads. To deal with sewage outflow issues, 113 jet rodding machines, 22 jetting and suction machines, 44 super suckers, 205 desilting machines, 12 sewage removal machines are readied. 

The stormwater drain network – the city’s micro-drainage system – has been one of the key concerns for the residents, who complain that desilting has still not begun in their locality. 

Ganga Sridhar, a resident of RA Puram, said that they were concerned that the Corporation has still not undertaken the desilting of the existing drains. “Every year, we would work with the Corporation officials to fix and desilt the drains in Raja Street but this year, due to change in officials, the process has been delayed, though a proposal has been sent to the headquarters on this. Especially after the Kerala floods, we are worried about the absence of desilting measures and are planning to send a group of representatives to the local office, to undertake this effort,” said the office bearer of the Raja Street Resident Welfare Association.