CHENNAI: Floods occur every year in Pataram, Perampur, Vyasapadhi and other parts of north Chennai. Restoring the Buckingham Canal could provide a permanent solution to north Chennai’s flooding problem, experts say.
Joseph Raja, 76, of Ganesapuram, said Vyasarpadi has been experiencing hip-deep floods for nearly four decades.
Pattalam’s storm water drains divert water from Purasaiwakkam and Otteri areas to the drains through Demellows Road, into the Gandhi Canal through Pulianthope High Road and finally into the North Buckingham Canal. Now, we plan to construct a 3-meter-wide drainage ditch at a cost of Rs 15 crore, bypassing the Gandhi Canal and directly connecting Demellows Road and Buckingham Canal.
The knee-deep water on Perambur High Road and Stephenson Road does not easily flow into the main stormwater drain, which flows through Ganesapuram on the east side to Otteri Nullah. Minister PK Sekar Babu told TOI: “The construction of the Ganesapuram flyover has suspended repair work of storm water drains in the area.”
“Ganesapuram is the lowest point and all the water flows into Otteri Nullah. So, the water is slowly receding,” Saravanan said.
The main road at Sathiyamoorthy Nagar in Vyasarpadi was also severely inundated as the storm drains entering the Captain Cotton Canal were full. Greater chennai corporation Hoses and two diesel generators are being used to pump water from drains into canals.
Turning to the right, the area adjacent to Cotton Canal – Ezir Nagar area of Kodungayyur is stuck. “Most residents of low-lying houses leave before the rain intensifies and come back after it rains,” said Vimal R, a resident.
Whenever the water in the canal increases, Ezir NagarMahakavi Bharathi Nagar and Kodungaiyur internal roads were flooded.
The only outlet for floodwaters to drain away from these areas is the North Buckingham Canal. Small canals like Captain Cotton Canal at Vyasarpadi, Kodungaiyur Canal and Otteri Nullah at Basin Bridge are associated with white gold The Han Canal is connected and is used to treat rainwater.
cotton canal captain
“This is because the water level in the North Buckingham canal is higher than in low-lying areas like Ezir Nagar and Vyasapadhi. Only when the water depth in the main canal decreases, the smaller canals start draining water.
According to the Department of Water Resources, the North Buckingham Canal can only carry water at a rate of 2,850 cubic feet per second (cubic feet per second), while floodwaters are flowing in at more than 5,000 cubic feet per second (cubic feet per second). The canal has also been narrowed by repeated encroachments.
“Unless the Buckingham Canal is repaired, areas in north and south Chennai will not be protected from floods,” said S Janakarajan, a former member of the Tirupurgarh Committee. WRD has put forward a Rs 3,650-crore project proposal to rehabilitate the 47.5-km-long Buckingham Canal from Ennore Creek in the north to Mutukadu in the south.
