The Greater Chennai Corporation has issued show cause notice to 23 contractors for delay in commencing work on flood mitigation. The work includes restoration of waterbodies, missing links of storm water drains and integrated storm water drains in Kosasthalaiyar basin.
Following a review meeting by Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Thursday, the contractors have been asked to expedite the work on missing links of storm water drains in various parts of the city.
The commissioner inspected the work on desilting of Virugambakkam canal in ward 127 at the junction of Kaliamman Koil Street and Chinmaya Nagar. Virugambakkam canal is one of the 16 canals maintained by the Public Works Department but the Corporation has taken up the work to prevent inundation of residential areas such as Nerkundram, Chinmaya Nagar, Saligramam and market areas such as Koyambedu.
He also inspected storm water drain work at five locations along Kaliamman Koil Street, which is a major road linking residential areas with Koyambedu market. The road had been inundated during the previous north-east monsoon, leading to disruption of traffic.
The Corporation had developed 1,600 km of storm water drains along Kaliamman Koil Street and linked them with Virugambakkam canal to prevent flooding. The road had also been widened from 16 metre to 27 metre.
The team also inspected storm water drains along Anna Main Road in ward 131. The drain is designed to take storm water from Arcot Road to MGR Canal. The work on storm water drain in the area is also expected to reduce waterlogging in Rajamannar Salai.
Next, the team inspected River View Colony in Alandur zone ward 157 . The work on storm water drain underneath Manapakkam Main Road would be completed shortly, officials said.
Officials also inspected flood sensor at Nandambakkam. Work on flood sensor at the smart pole along Nandambakkam Canal along Mount Poonamallee Road is expected to give an alarm once the water level reaches 2.5 metre in the canal.
Officials said the corporation has removed 43,200 tonnes of silt from 30 canals.
