Chennai: Every year, roads in Goodwill Nagar and nearby areas in Tambaram face waterlogging after a few hours of rain. Several other low-lying areas within Tambaram City Municipal Corporation limits also experience flooding during heavy rain. With the northeast monsoon just months away, the civic body has proposed a ₹111.08-crore stormwater drain (SWD) project to address chronic flooding in such neighbourhoods.The civic body has submitted a proposal to the state govt seeking administrative approval and funds for 40 stormwater drain works covering 30.37km across flood-prone areas, including Goodwill Nagar, Samathuva Periyar Nagar, Judge Colony and parts of Chitlapakkam.
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According to corporation officials, the project has been divided into two phases. The first phase includes 25 works covering 23.1km at an estimated cost of ₹95.51 crore, while the second phase consists of 15 works spanning 7.27 km at a cost of ₹15.57 crore.The proposal comes as several neighbourhoods in Tambaram continue to witness severe waterlogging during every monsoon despite stormwater drain works taken up in recent years. Residents have repeatedly complained that incomplete drain networks, blocked natural waterways and inadequate connectivity between drains and waterbodies have prevented rainwater from draining quickly.“We have identified the remaining vulnerable locations based on field inspections and flood mapping carried out over the past few monsoons. The proposed stormwater drain network is designed to improve the flow of rainwater and connect existing drains with major outfalls. Once govt approval is received, the works will be taken up on priority before the peak monsoon season,” said S Balachander, commissioner, Tambaram City Municipal Corporation.The corporation earlier executed stormwater drain works covering 15km and worth ₹37.59 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund. However, residents and civic activists said portions of those works were carried out in haste and lacked proper supervision. They also claimed that several drains were laid with inadequate gradients and failed to channel rainwater effectively.S David Manohar, a civic activist and a resident of Pallavaram, said stormwater drains should be laid with a proper slope so that rainwater flows naturally. “Officials usually check only the length and width of the drains during inspections. Engineers should monitor every stage of construction. Instead of spending crores on new drains alone, the corporation should restore natural water channels by removing encroachments and widening and deepening them. That would improve drainage and save a significant amount of public money,” he said.“We welcome the new proposal, but the focus should be on quality construction and proper connectivity to lakes and existing waterways rather than just laying more drains,” said R Karthikeyan, a member of the United Residents Welfare Association, Tambaram.
