The torrential rains triggered by Cyclone Michaung on December 3-4 in Chennai and its neighbouring districts uncovered but once more the bounds of city planning. The southern and northern areas of Chennai skilled extreme flooding; the one exceptions have been the central elements. The neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur have been equally affected.
This spell of rains was heavier than the rains of 2015, however sure options within the metropolis appear fixed. For example, little modified in Velachery, a a lot sought-after locality lately, or in Ambattur Industrial Property, one of many outdated industrial estates of Tamil Nadu. There was public anger in areas the place reduction work, restoration of companies together with electrical energy provide and Web, and the availability of necessities equivalent to sanitary napkins left lots to be desired.
The perceptible distinction between the 2015 floods and the 2023 rains is that this time, there was no dramatic occasion other than the cyclone itself. Eight years in the past, the discharge of water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of many water sources for Chennai, into Adyar within the south was extensively cited as the primary reason for the floods. The Comptroller and Auditor Basic’s report of 2017 on the 2015 Chennai floods identified that 29,000 cusecs of water have been repeatedly discharged for 21 hours from the reservoir. This, coupled with surplus water from upstream tanks and catchment areas, brought on flood water to stream into the Adyar river.
The DMK authorities, which has accomplished half its time period, has claimed that its dealing with of the state of affairs made a distinction this time. It has cited the continuing implementation of a ₹4,000-crore storm water drain undertaking to help this place. Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin misplaced no time in saying the distribution of ₹6,000 to every of the cyclone-hit households within the 4 districts. Apparently in response to criticism that voluntary organisations didn’t take part in reduction efforts as a lot as they need to have, the federal government introduced {that a} system is in place to channel these companies.
AIADMK common secretary Edappadi Ok. Palaniswami has doubted the efficacy of the storm water drains undertaking and demanded a White Paper on its implementation, and in addition demanded that the reduction quantity be doubled, however some really feel that the Opposition occasion has performed little in making its presence felt on the bottom.
One constructive characteristic of the current state of affairs is that there’s a clean working relationship between the Central and State governments. That is heartening because the relationship between the BJP and the DMK has been at a very low level because the controversy over the DMK’s statements on Sanatana Dharma. A number of Central companies have been concerned in efforts to mitigate the disaster, the Defence Minister visited Chennai, and the Residence Minister introduced that funds can be allotted for flood-related work.
Why was Chennai so badly flooded?
Over the subsequent few weeks, normalcy will return in all of the affected areas. However public-spirited people and civil society teams are demanding that steps be taken in a sustained method in order that the federal government is ready for such a disaster and {that a} lasting resolution to the issue of flooding be discovered. There are many case research on what must be performed. They counsel that Anna Nagar, a locality developed within the western a part of Chennai throughout the late Nineteen Sixties and the early Nineteen Seventies, didn’t face a significant drawback this time due to its pucca structure. Nonetheless, many different elements of town weren’t as fortunate. Through the years, permission has been recklessly granted to unapproved layouts within the identify of ‘regularisation schemes.’ This pattern must be stopped.
Additionally learn | State authorities mulling over 2 choices to deal with flooding in southern areas of Chennai
It’s crucial for authorities to correctly preserve water our bodies and pure wetlands such because the Pallikaranai marsh. Residents really feel the marsh, which has shrunk to round 700 hectares from 5,000 hectares, can turn out to be simpler as a sponge for town provided that the biomining undertaking on the close by Perungudi dumping yard be expedited. The federal government also needs to publish the findings of the committee headed by former civil servant V. Thiruppugazh on Chennai flood catastrophe mitigation and administration, other than making certain a free debate on the matter. On the macro degree, it’s time that the govermment considers the concept of creating a second capital or an alternate capital within the fertile elements of the Cauvery delta in central Tamil Nadu.