Corporation begins SWD desilting ahead of monsoon season

The work which is expected to complete by the end of October is being carried across all the zones of the civic body. Steps are being taken to ensure that the city doesn’t grapple with waterlogging after the onset of monsoon, officials said. At a cost of Rs 38.23 crore, the drains are desilted twice a year in a cyclic manner. 

Both Corporation staff and contractual workers are being employed as part of the work, said a statement from the corporation. The civic body is using high pressure equipment in densely populated and commercial areas, and localities without underground sewer lines. There are 7,350 stormwater drains running along a stretch of 1,894 km in the city.

Among the 30 canals, Kodungaiyur, Ekankipuram, Mambalam and MGR Nagar are being desilted with the help of robotic excavators that have been imported from Switzerland.

Similarly, hyacinths are being removed from Buckingham, Virugambakkam, and Captain Cotton canals with amphibian vehicles bought from Finland. So far, 45,000 tonnes of hyacinths and sediments have been removed.