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Friday's showers exposed for the humbug they are the city corporation's tall claims that it is prepared for the monsoon.Most city roads were under standing water within an hour of the sky opening up, showing just how inefficient the civic body has been in its effort to solve the chronic waterlogging problem.The corporation failed on virtually every count: Potholed roads added to the problems of motorists, the downpour brought down trees and unfinished or clogged storm water drains caused severe flooding in many places.
Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy has over the past few months said several times that the corporation would have new storm water drains constructed and existing ones unclogged. If the mayor was singing in the rain on Friday , it must surely have been from the safety of his CIT Nagar residence.
The corporation's storm water drainage department spent `136.05 crore in 2012-13 and `215 crore in 2013-14 on work that was supposed to make the system direct rainwater runoff into rivers and waterways. The corporation has allocated `450 crore for 2014 15 -giving the department the chance to be more than twice as profligate with taxpayers' money this year.
It received approval for a `814.88 crore storm water drainage project under JNNURM in April 2009. It was supposed to construct 533.32km of drains, but later reduced it to 335km. Officials say 85% of the work has been completed. From Friday's flooding it would appear that is an exaggeration.
“Poor quality drains also lower the lifespan of roads because of waterlogging,“ said a former corporation engineer. “Most of the corporation's funds are spent on repairs after rain.“ He says the civic body is ill-equipped and has too few pumps and motors to drain water from low-lying areas and subways, which machinery the corporation should have given the money it spends on rain preparedness.
Telephones at the corporation's complaint cell (1913) rang off the hook on Friday, with calls from the expanded areas. Flooding was reported from Velachery , Ambattur, Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Ullagaram and Korattur, an official said. Shankar Prasad, a resident of T Nagar, says it's clear the corporation is not prepared for rain.
Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy has over the past few months said several times that the corporation would have new storm water drains constructed and existing ones unclogged. If the mayor was singing in the rain on Friday , it must surely have been from the safety of his CIT Nagar residence.
The corporation's storm water drainage department spent `136.05 crore in 2012-13 and `215 crore in 2013-14 on work that was supposed to make the system direct rainwater runoff into rivers and waterways. The corporation has allocated `450 crore for 2014 15 -giving the department the chance to be more than twice as profligate with taxpayers' money this year.
It received approval for a `814.88 crore storm water drainage project under JNNURM in April 2009. It was supposed to construct 533.32km of drains, but later reduced it to 335km. Officials say 85% of the work has been completed. From Friday's flooding it would appear that is an exaggeration.
“Poor quality drains also lower the lifespan of roads because of waterlogging,“ said a former corporation engineer. “Most of the corporation's funds are spent on repairs after rain.“ He says the civic body is ill-equipped and has too few pumps and motors to drain water from low-lying areas and subways, which machinery the corporation should have given the money it spends on rain preparedness.
Telephones at the corporation's complaint cell (1913) rang off the hook on Friday, with calls from the expanded areas. Flooding was reported from Velachery , Ambattur, Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Ullagaram and Korattur, an official said. Shankar Prasad, a resident of T Nagar, says it's clear the corporation is not prepared for rain.
Christin MathewPhilip
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Chennai Toi 18 Oct 14
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