The Hindu : Front Page : Work begins on new channels to prevent flooding

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Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Work begins on new channels to prevent flooding

R. Srikanth

— Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

NEW COURSE: An earthmover at work to create a watercourse on the western side of the Pallikaranai swamp on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: The Public Works Department (PWD) on Tuesday started work on creating temporary channels on the western side of the Pallikaranai swamp to address the problem of flooding in several localities of Velachery.

The new channels are being established on either side of the southern extension of the Inner Ring Road (IRR) that is being laid.

The channels, each with a width of five metres and length of 1.7 km, are being formed to facilitate flow of floodwater from the Veerangal Odai to the swamp on the eastern side of the Velachery-Tambaram Road.

A PWD official said the need for forming the new canals arose, as the alignment of the IRR came in the way of the old course, established at a cost of Rs. 13.5 lakh in November 2006.

The new channels would be created at a cost of Rs.7.5 lakh and the work would be completed by the end of next week, the official added. Removal of silt in the Veerangal Odai was also being undertaken simultaneously.

When the southern parts of the city experienced heavy rain during the northeast monsoon last year, residential colonies in Velachery, Madipakkam and Ullagaram-Puzhithivakkam were severely flooded, as the Veerangal Odai was in spate. The Odai, which begins at Nanganallur and flows through Madipakkam and Adambakkam, terminates abruptly near Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam, leading to inundation of a number of residential areas.

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