Harvest rainwater to prevent floods and drought: NGO

Chennai: People in the city once welcomed rain with hot tea, bajji and nostalgic 1980s music. Now, the northeast monsoon brings fear and anxiety, fuelled by bad experiences with floods and cyclones. "The trauma of past floods makes people park their vehicles at the slightest news of a depression in the sea. Everyone fears a repeat of 2015 and 2023," said S Radhakrishnan from anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, while addressing around 50 residents at the NGO's Nungambakkam office on Sunday evening.
Arappor Iyakkam invited residents to learn about how to respond to floods and think about a long-term solution in local areas. "The solution to both floods and droughts is the same: harvest as much rainwater as possible," said Haris Sultan, a member of the NGO. Proper waterbody management, he said, could prevent floods and avoid water scarcity similar to 2018-19.
Haris said that if every household harvested 80% of the rain within its compound, floodwater runoff would reduce significantly. "Aquifers are like banks. We must recharge them while extracting water from borewells," he added. Desilting and deepening waterbodies up to 20 feet would also help recharge groundwater and mitigate flooding.
Haris said that the city's rivers and lakes depend on rainfall and are not perennial. This makes the city's water supply vulnerable during dry years. "Our ancestors built waterbodies to store water for non-rainy months. Many of these, such as Mogappair lake, have now disappeared, leading to more runoff and slower drainage," he said.
Residents asked how to identify and address flooding issues in their areas. "Start by understanding where water stagnates, particularly in low-lying areas. Then ensure desilting and stormwater drain projects are implemented as per tender norms. The documents are available on the e-tender website," Radhakrishnan said.