Monsoon imminent, but drain desilting remains unfinished

Chennai: As the monsoon approaches, Tambaram Corporation is yet to complete desilting of drains in all zones, raising fears of flooding. Despite an allocation of 40 crore for the project, around 50% of the work is incomplete.
Of the 785 km of drains targeted for desilting, only 386 km have been cleared. And, of the 6,930 culverts identified for cleaning, only 2,130 have been done.The project was scheduled for completion in September. Significant portions of the work remains pending.

Drains in Pallavaram, Selaiyur, Chitlapakkam, and Sembakkam are clogged with debris, silt, and garbage. These drains are not maintained regularly, residents said.
“Like every year, we fear that this year too our streets will be flooded. We only hear about the projects but see nothing on the ground,” said resident Mahesh Kannan.
A public health official of the corporation said the buildup of silt and pollutants in the drains will lead to water pollution. When rainwater cannot flow freely through the drains, it accumulates in stagnant pools increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases such as dengue. “The corporation should allocate more funds for emergency response and cleanup after each heavy rainfall event,” said Ramkumar J, a resident.
Corporation commissioner R Alagumeena has instructed councillors of all 70 wards to oversee desilting.
During the council meeting last week, the commissioner said the corporation is planning to streamline the tendering process and allocate additional resources to accelerate drain desilting.
“The city’s weather department informed me that Tambaram will be vulnerable during the monsoon season. We plan to complete desilting work by this month,” the commissioner said.
Activist V Santhanam said "it remains to be seen whether these measures will be sufficient to ensure readiness for the rains."