Chennai, Sept 26:
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the State government and the Greater Chennai Corporation to expedite pending stormwater drain works, interconnections and desalting measures to prevent flooding in Chennai.
In a statement, Anbumani said stormwater drain works taken up across Chennai based on the recommendations of the Thirupugazh Committee had not been fully completed even four years after they began in 2022. Of the proposed 1,093-km network, work had been completed on 1,045 km, leaving around 48 km still pending, he said.
He pointed out that several stretches, including Anna Nagar Second Avenue, Arcot Road, Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar, Alandur, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Thiruvika Nagar, still had incomplete works and open trenches, posing risks to motorists and residents.
Anbumani further claimed that interconnection work between drains was pending at 68 of the 105 identified locations. Desilting had also not been completed in 41 per cent of the inlet structures along the 1,682-km stormwater drain network, he said.
Citing the State government’s committee on the impact of the Super El Niño system, Anbumani said Tamil Nadu could witness excess rainfall and flooding this year. He recalled the severe flooding experienced by Chennai in 2015 and 2023.
He urged the government to complete all pending works on a war footing and immediately close and restore road trenches to prevent both flooding and accidents.