WB to fund CMDA’s flood risk study

Apart from assisting CMDA, the World Bank also reportedly agreed to assist Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) to redevelop slum areas in the city in order to mitigate the damage caused by floods.

A source in CMDA said that the representatives of the World Bank had visited Chennai last week to conduct coordination meetings with the officials. “Even though a final decision pertaining to the magnitude of the amount and types of projects to be undertaken is yet to be taken, World Bank has agreed to fund us after a gap of nearly 15 years,” the source added.

An official confirmed that the authority would carry out the works to prepare the third master plan and flood risk assessment study with the monetary and technical assistance of the international funding agency. “For the first time, we are going to prepare region-based master plans. Flood risk study will help the government in acting when disaster hits the city. However, the talks are in theirinitial stages.” The CMDA had prepared the first master plan in 1976 and the second master plan in 2008. Meanwhile, the World Bank held talks with TNSCB officials to carry out the redevelopment of slum board apartments.

“We have proposed to demolish and redevelop 17 old apartments which are in poor condition. But we do not know whether the will fund all of them. However, 11 apartments need immediate redevelopment. Most of these apartments in the city were built nearly 40 years ago,” an official said.

The official added that the board is short of funds to redevelop old apartments and cannot use PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) as the scheme is only to build new houses. All the 17 apartments selected for redevelopment are located on the banks of Adyar, Cooum Rivers and Buckingham Canal. “The intent is to minimise the impact of floods,” he said.