Chennai: PWD looks to widen Adyar river course

CHENNAI: The state PWD is looking at various options to save excess water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir and plans to take measures to reduce inundation in residential areas along the Adyar river course after the monsoon.
During heavy rain, a senior PWD official said, excess water released from the Chembarambakkam reservoir through the surplus course joins the Adyar in the Tiruneermalai area.At this confluence point, the existing course is unable to take large quantities of water released from the reservoir and many low-lying areas along the stretch get inundated.
To be able to take in an adequate quantity of water, the PWD authorities said, the existing course needs to be widened by at least 60m and a swathe of land along the stretch had to be acquired.
Widening the surplus channel will help avoid flooding in the surrounding residential localities and will also leave access to the industrial estate in Tirumudivakkam unaffected. This has been a long-time request of residents in the area, said the official.
As far as saving excess water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir is concerned, there is a possibility to store it. A sluice channel to take the excess water to the Sikkarayapuram quarries exists, but a covered channel needs to be laid, he said.
A Metrowater official said the existing channel was able to only take a small quantity of excess water to the quarry.
To be able to execute the two projects, the PWD plans to take up a three-month study before approaching the state government for financial sanction. Once begun, the two projects can be completed in a year, said the official.
Copious rain from the ongoing northeast monsoon has not only left the four reservoirs supplying the city brimming, it has also increased the groundwater level considerably. With the fifth reservoir at Thervoy Kandigai more than half full, water managers believe the residents can enjoy proper supply through the summer.
The city gets more than 60% of its annual rainfall during the northeast monsoon that runs from October to December.