Table of Contents

1.Introduction ........................................................................................... 1

2.Methodology: .......................................................................................... 4

1. Perumbakkam and Surrounding Area ................................................... 5

2. Medavakkam & Vengaivasal Panchayat- St.Thomas Mount ................. 10

3. Sunnambu Kolathur Village, Chengalpattu District ............................. 16

4. Manali-Sadayankuppam, Zone 2 Ward 16 ........................................... 18

5. Vyasarpadi Zone 4, Ward 46................................................................ 21

6. Mettupalayam Govindan Street Zone 6 Ward 71 .................................. 23

7. Pattalam Choolai, Zone 6, Ward 78 ..................................................... 25

8. Ambattur Estate Flooding .................................................................... 26

9. Korattur .............................................................................................. 30

10. Virugambakkam Canal ...................................................................... 32

11. Porur Lake Area ................................................................................ 35

12. Royapettah Zone 9,Ward 115 ............................................................ 36

13. Velachery .......................................................................................... 37

14. Thiruverkadu Municipal, ICL Hometown & GCC, Ward 150. ............. 42

15. Pallavaram & Chromepet Area ........................................................... 45

16. Pammal and Anakaputhur: ............................................................... 51

17. Adaiyalampattu Eri in Adaiyalampattu Village, Maduravoyal: .......... 54

18. Conclusion:...................................................................................... 55
1. Introduction
“Cry, Cry, Chennai, my Beloved City!”

“Oh Chennai!”
“How many more floods should you have to endure?
How much more death, destruction and devastation should you have to
witness?
How many more lives and livelihoods should be destroyed, before you
(Chennai) are free of floods and Chennai’vasis can look at rains without
fear”.
*****. *****
In the first week of December, 2023 the residents of Chennai and its
surrounding areas experienced the fury of flood which brought the huge city to
a grinding halt. Across Chennai city - and actually all over the vast Chennai
metropolitan area covering 5,904 Square KMs - flood waters inundated houses
and buildings, made homeless lakhs of slumdwellers and vulnerable people
living in low lying areas. The swirling flood waters, in many places consisted of
sewage water missed with rain water entered houses and washed away people’s
belongings including important certificates, life savings and valuables. The flood
waters carried away scores of cars and vehicles causing major financial loss and
damage. Shops and small-scale industries were destroyed causing economic
ruin to many enterprises built over many years of hard work and toil. In north
Chennai petroleum waste products mixed with the swirling flood water and filled
the entire region in an oily, slimy, chemically dangerous sediments. In many
areas, it took more than 5 to 7 days before the sewage/ garbage mixed –
rainwater receded, during which time residents couldn’t return to their homes.
Bodies of dead dogs, rodents, goats and cattle floated in the flood waters entering
homes of people, especially living in low lying areas posing serious threat to lives
and outbreak of infectious diseases.
Chennai residents haven’t yet fully recovered from the devastating
December, 2015 floods before they were forced to endure the 2023 floods. Back
in 2015 the authorities said it was a one-in-100-years disaster and will not occur
for a long period.
But in just 8 years, the city got flooded again.

1 of 56 | P a g e
 Why were the lessons of the 2015 floods not learnt and corrective
measures not undertaken by the City Corporation officials, the elected
Corporation Councillors, elected MLAs and MPs?
Who is to blame for this mess?
What are the causes for the rain water to gather with such force that it
turned into severe floods? What happened to the hundreds and thousands of
crores spent on constructing `Storm Water Drains’ (SWDs) especially ensuring
that SWDs which were not connected to the system of water drainage systems,
were linked properly?
What about encroachments on water ways and who exactly are the main
encroachers? The favourite villain that government officials and media like to
blame for blocking water channels are poor people living in slums at or near
water canals. In 2015 itself, numerous studies showed that this was false; the
main encroachers are huge malls, colleges, factories and buildings built by
encroaching into water ways and canals. Between 2015 till 2023, did Chennai
Corporation, CMDA and the Government departments identify the main
encroachers and take action to remove the big obstructions and encroachers?
What about the social responsibility of big builders, industries, colleges,
malls and other owners of major commercial buildings who knowingly and
deliberately violate building norms and construct buildings which are a threat
to free flow of rain water, water percolation to ground water table and cause
water inundation.
Many citizens groups got together in mid-December, 2023 to brainstorm
on what we as citizens need to do to prevent future floods. A network of local
residents groups called `The Citizen’s Platform’ – Makkal Medai – had been
formed in 2015 which worked for over a year and came out with a detailed
concept note which pointed out that flood prevention in Chennai city and
surrounding areas cannot be seen in isolation but has to be understood as being
integrally linked with the nature and type of urban planning and infrastructure
development, industrial growth, environmental protection and pollution control
measures. People are slowly realizing that they are not just victims – but part of
the problem itself. And that no solution can be found unless people are also
involved in the solutions! It was therefore decided to revive the `Citizen’s
Platform’ and once again resume the process of building a city-wide initiative
bringing together concerned citizens, resident welfare associations, people’s
representatives and officials.

2 of 56 | P a g e
 It was felt that it is very important to conduct a `Citizen’s audit’ of flood
hit areas in different localities of Chennai city and the metropolitan areas.
We present in this report, locality – wise report of the type and nature of
flooding in different parts of the city and its causes. We also summarise a
number of corrective measures that requires to be urgently initiated in these
areas, which can thereafter be followed up local residents and their Associations
as also officials.
This is the first of field based Reports that the Citizen’s Platform plans to
bring about, to start the process of active engagement with urban development
policies and practices.
We invite residents of different areas to join and participate with us to
make Chennai a flood resilient, sustainable, safe, vibrant and liveable city. We
request the Government to take serious note of this report and work towards
restoring Chennai!

3 of 56 | P a g e
2. Methodology:
After the floods in December 2023, citizens from different areas of Chennai came
together for working towards solving the issues of floods. Citizens, members of
resident associations, Arappor Iyakkam and others formed the Makkal Medai
and organized field audits of flood affected areas. The audit involved local
residents sharing how they were affected by flood followed by an field audit of
the waterbodies and waterchannels in the area to understand the reasons
behind flooding. During and after the audit, the audit team discussed and
finalized a list of actions needed from the Government to ensure that such
floodings do not repeat in the future.
The following areas were covered in the field audit
1. Perumbakkam and Surrounding Area, Chengalpet district
2. Medavakkam & Vengaivasal Panchayat- St.Thomas Mount union –
Chengalpet district
3. Sunnambu Kolathur Village, Chengalpat District
4. Manali-Sadayankuppam, Zone 2 Ward 16
5. Vyasarpadi Zone 4, Ward 46
6. Mettupalayam Govindan Street Zone 6 Ward 71
7. Pattalam Choolai, Zone 6, Ward 78
8. Ambattur Estate Flooding Zone 7
9. Korattur Zone 7
10. Virugambakkam Canal – Virugambakkam and Choolaimedu
11. Porur lake area.
12. Royapettah Zone 9,Ward 115
13. Velachery Areas
14. Thiruverkadu Municipality, ICL Hometown & GCC, Ward 150
15. Pallavaram & Chrompet Area, Tambaram Corporation
16. Pammal and Anakaputhur, Tambaram Corporation
17. Adaiyalampattu Eri, Tiruvallur District

Limitations of the report:

This is a citizen led report. While in many places, local citizens had in depth
knowledge of the waterbodies in their areas, it may not be an expert view with
full hydrological knowledge.
Secondly, this report has not covered all the flood affected areas but those where
citizens came forward for field audit and to work on solutions.

4 of 56 | P a g e
1. Perumbakkam and Surrounding Area

a. Flood Issues:
● Kailash Nagar had more than 5 feet of water stagnation for two days, and
there was no supply of essential items, including milk, and no power for
more than two days. The flood water entered most houses on the ground
floor and damaged all the household items.
● Residents of the Embassy Residency, Cheran Nagar, reported that flood
water entered the basement levels and immersed around 150 cars in the
water.
● Several families at Cheran Nagar and Indirapriyadharsini Nagar had to
vacate their houses after a few days of water stagnation.
● It took four days to remove the water in Kailash Nagar, and cleaning the
slush from the floods took more than a week. MLA had provided two
pumps of 110 hp, and the embassy residents association had hired four
pumps to evacuate water.
● Main roads, including Sholinganallur-Medavakkam road, were closed for
3-5 days. Also, Global Hospital Road and Rose Garden Road were
blocked for 5-7 days due to the stagnation of flood water.

Sample Flood Images:

Indirapriyadharsini Nagar:

5 of 56 | P a g e
Nookampalayam Road/ Bollineni Hillside:

b. Reason for Flooding

1. One of the reasons for flooding in this area is the poorly maintained
Perumbakkam Lake. Sewage water flows into the lake, and the lake
surface is full of hyacinths. (Ref image1)
2. Excess water from western regions like Sithalapakkam and Vengaivasal
passes through Perumbakkam Lake. It overflows into areas like Kailash
Nagar and Cheran Nagar due to the narrow and poorly maintained canal
connecting Perumbakkam Lake to Marshland.( Ref image2)
3. Along the Nookampalayam roadside and Bhajanai Koil Street, one can
find that the water drains are mostly filled with solid wastes, and there's
no distinction between rainwater drains and sewer drains.
4. The total area of Pallikaranai marshland is shrinking due to
encroachments. Institutional constructions like ELCOT, Central Institute
of Classical Tamil (CICT) and Thangavelu Engineering College are major
obstacles for the water from the south side of the Pallikaranai Marshland
to drain into Buckingham Canal through Okkiyam Maduvu. (ref image3)
5. Several deep foundations are being laid on the Okkiyam Maduvu (near
the bridge) for the metro rail construction. These constructions obstruct
the water flow, mainly due to the buildup of hyacinths around these
pillars. (ref image3)

6 of 56 | P a g e
Audit Photos:
Image 1:

Image 2:

7 of 56 | P a g e
8 of 56 | P a g e
Image 3:

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future:

1. 1. Marshland in the Perumbakkam region converted to institutional
and other classifications needs to be immediately classified as
waterbodies.
2. 2. All blocks of Government buildings and private Corporate buildings
in the marshland needs to be removed.
3. 3. The canal connecting Perumbakkam lake and Pallikaranai
marshland needs to be widened to its original capacity and maintained
for the uninterrupted flow of excess water from Perumbakkam Lake into
the marshland.
4. 4. Perumbakkam Lake needs to be maintained better. Prevent the flow
of sewage water into the lake and desilt the lake to retain its total
capacity.

9 of 56 | P a g e
2. Medavakkam & Vengaivasal Panchayat- St.Thomas Mount – Chengalpet

a. Flood Issues(Medavakkam Ranganathapuram lake)

Medavakkam Sitheri lake(Ranganathapuram lake) is located in ward-

8,Ranganathapuram of Medavakkam Panchayat ,St. Thomas Mount Union
,Chengalpattu District opposite to Quaide Milleth College, Medavakkam
surrounded by Vijayanagaram and Ranganathapuram in the Upstream side
and CBI colony in the downstream side. This lake is under the purview of
St.Thomas Mount Union. It receives water from the Nanmangalam Reserve
Forest through two canals and culverts crossing the Medavakkam -
Tambaram Road.
During start of the 2023 monsoon, it breached near inlet and flooded
Vijanayagaram 2nd Main Road, Kambar Street, CBI colony extension and
Vignarajapuram Main Street, Vignarajapuram Extn area and RG Nagar,
whereas last year it breached near the “Madagu'' and flooded the entire CBI
Colony area and RG Nagar. R.G Nagar of Vengaivasal panchayat is the
worst affected, where water gets stagnated up to 3-4 ft.

10 of 56 | P a g e
b. Reasons for Flooding
1. Recently the water inflow has increased as the Highways Department
has connected its Storm water drain around Medavakkam Flyover to this
lake. With no proper outlet or flood gates, the lake gets breached at
different places every monsoon, flooding the various areas of
Medavakkam and Vengaivasal Panchayat.
2. The sewage of the entire Vijayanagaram and Ranganathapuram area of
Medavakkam Panchayat is let into this lake which makes the situation
more hazardous. During every monsoon 1000s of residents in CBI
Colony and R.G Nagar have to live with sewage infested water flowing
around them for at least 2 months.
3. The Sewage from most of the households around this lake and even from
bigger apartments is being let into this lake throughout the year illegally
through the open Storm water drain in the upstream area. This has led
to the capacity of the lake being drastically reduced with sewage and
sludge causing most of the rain water to be surplus. In a related ,NGT
Suo Motto case [Original Application No. 17 of 2020 (SZ) Filing
No:330511800031/2020] where TN PCB has confirmed the sewage
inflow in to this lake ,the authorities were asked by the NGT to stop
sewage flowing in to this lake by creating community soak pit. But no
action was taken till date and the lake brims with sewage water and
hyacinth throughout the year, causing each drop of rain water to be
surplus.
4. No Desilting, hyacinth removal, garbage removal, bund maintenance or
any other maintenance activities were done by the BDO, St.Thomas
Mount union under whose jurisdiction this lake falls into.
5. The outlet flow of this Medavakkam Ranganathapuram Sitheri lake
overflows through agricultural land in both Medavakkam (current CBI
Colony Area) and Vengaivasal (Current R.G Nagar) panchayat and then
flows in to the outlet canal from the Vengaivasal Sitheri lake [One of
Perumbakkam inlet canal] and eventually reaches Perumpakkam lake.
When Sub-urban areas grew, and agricultural land was converted into
residential plots , no connecting canal [Or any existed canal was closed ]
was provided for overflow of water from Medavakkam Ranganathapuram
Sitheri lake to reach the Perumbakkam lake. Because of this, during
every monsoon when the outlet [Madhagu] was excavated to prevent the
breaching of lake bunds or the lake breaches by itself, both CBI Colony
in Medavakkam Panchayat and R.G Nagar in Vengaivasal Panchayat are
flooded.

11 of 56 | P a g e
 6. After 2021 flood, a temporary earthen canal was built from the “Madagu”
area of this lake but was left half way causing flooding in CBI Colony
areas. During the 2023 monsoon, to everyone’s surprise the “Madagu''
was not excavated, saving CBI colony main area from flooding, but
caused breach near the inlet and sewage-mixed water flooded
Vijanayagaram 2nd main road,Kambar street,CBI colony extension and
Vignarajapuram Main Street, and Vignarajapuram Extn area.
7. A canal was built from this breach in the inlet area and connected to the
storm water drain of the Vengaivasal panchayat but similar to the
earthen canal in CBI colony, this too was left halfway in Vignarajapuram
Extn area causing flooding in that area.
8. Irrespective of wherever this lake breaches or surplus is left out, the only
way out for the surplus water, is to reach the Perumbakkam lake inlet in
the R.G Nagar in Vengaivasal Panchayat. Unfortunately no provision was
made for this in R.G Nagar and the water path was completely blocked
by multi storeyed apartment causing flooding of entire R.G Nagar area.
A small outlet was provided through the OSR land of private apartment,
but it is nowhere near the required outlet capacity to avoid flooding of
this area. During every monsoon, the compound walls of these private
apartments are demolished to allow flow of water into Perumbakkam
lake from R.G Nagar.

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future

1. Stop flow of sewage water into Ranganathapuram Lake or provide an
STP.
2. Desilt the Ranganathapuram Lake and strengthen the bund in the
breached areas and undertake annual maintenance work before
monsoon.
3. Build proper drain from “Madagu” of this lake till the canal in R.G Nagar
matching the inlet capacity, with proper flood gates to control the output
of surplus water.
4. Make a proper connection from R.G Nagar to the inlet of the
Perumbakkam lake using a lot of vacant plots available in R.G Nagar.
The mistake of allowing multi-storeyed apartments in the natural water
ways can be rectified, by rerouting the water from R.G Nagar through
any of the available empty plots or vacant lands into the Perumbakkam
lake inlet. If this is not rectified within the next 2 years and construction
comes up in all the vacant plots, this entire area of R.G Nagar and

12 of 56 | P a g e
 Vignarajapuram Extn will be submerged in surplus water from
Ranganathapuram lake and rain water from adjacent areas due to the
natural gradient.
5. Maintain a minimum flood plain area around the inlet canal to
Perumbakkam from the Santhoshapuram Sitheri lake in Vignarajapuram
Extn area to serve as buffer area. Allowing constructions in all these
places in this area in the near future, without proper drain from R.G
Nagar to Perumpakkam lake inlet will be catastrophic to both the
Vignarajapuram Extn area and R.G Nagar area.

Fig 1. MultiStoreyed Apartment in the water path of surplus water from

Ranganathapuram lake to Perumpakkam lake in R.G Nagar

Fig 2. Flooding in R.G Nagar and Vignarajapuram extn in Vengaivasal

Panchayat from surplus water from Ranganathapuram lake

13 of 56 | P a g e
Fig.3 Wall taken down temporarily to allow flow of water from R.G Nagar
to Perumpakkam lake

Fig 4: Lake Breach near inlet of Ranganathapuram lake flooding

Vijayanagaram main road

14 of 56 | P a g e
Fig 5: Ranganathapuram lake breach flowing through CBI Colony Extn

Fig 6: Ranganathapuram lake breach near CBI Colony Sivan temple in

Erikkarai street

15 of 56 | P a g e
 3. Sunnambu Kolathur Village, Chengalpattu District

a. Flood Issues
Affected areas under Sunnambu Kolathur
village are Kagithapuram, Ambedkar Salai,
Judges Colony, Bagyalakshmi Nagar, Raja
Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Manimegalai Nagar,
Engineers Avenue, Unmai Nagar, LIC Nagar,
Rajeswari Nagar, Viduthalai Nagar
extension. There was very heavy water
stagnation for nearly 4 days. Flood water
entered most of the ground floor houses and
people had to move to the 1st floor. Many of
the cars, 2 wheelers, and motor pumps got
submerged into the water. Residents say
that each of the 3000 odd families residing
in the ward, would have had damages worth
around Rs 1 lakh. Some people even had to
stay in hotels on these days.

b. Reason for Flood

Following are the reasons for flood in the area:
1. The main reason for the flood is that a total of 13 lakes are connected to
the Keelkattalai lake surplus water canal which is holding more than 5
times of its capacity. The surplus canal from Keelkattalai connecting to
Pallikaranai marshland is passing through this area and since the water
flowing through the canal is multiple times its capacity, it results in
flooding of the whole area.
2. Canal retaining walls were also not built properly.
3. There are some critical encroachments in the canal in Sunnambu
Kolathur at the point where it makes a near right-angled turn. The width
of the canal has reduced drastically at this point due to an encroached
house and a coconut garden. Even though the Court has ordered the
removal of the encroachment, the administration is lackadaisical in its
approach.

16 of 56 | P a g e
c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future
1. Provide a sluice gate till the lakebed level for Nanmangalam lake,
Keelkattalai lake, Narayanapuram lake, Anai lake, Medavakkam lake, and
Kovilambakkam lake. This will help reduce the lake level before any heavy
rain forecast.
2. Bypass the 200 feet radial road SWD at Narayanapuram lake and connect
it to the Adyar Anandha bhavan SWD. This will avoid reverse flow from
Narayanapuram lake.
3. Connect the Madipakkam, Moovarasampet SWD to the radial road SWD.
This will avoid overflow from Keelkattalai lake surplus water canal.
4. ⁠Remove the 90-degree bend encroachment near the Ambedkar salai
bridge. This will avoid bottleneck problems and avoid reverse flow of the
canal.
5. Construct a retaining wall in all gaps of the canal, including wherever
residential buildings are present. This will avoid overflow of the canal.
6. Deepen and desilt the lakes and construct rainwater storage inside the
lakes. This is for increasing the capacity of the lakes to hold more
rainwater.
7. Divert the lakes by creating an additional cut and cover drain from
Nanmangalam lake to Pallikaranai marsh. In future, do not connect any
additional lake surplus water to Keelkattalai lake surplus water canal
without considering the capacity of canals between Keelkattalai and
Pallikaranai marshland.
8. ⁠Remove garbage dump yard in Pallikaranai marsh. This will increase the
Pallikaranai marsh catchment area.

17 of 56 | P a g e
4. Manali-Sadayankuppam, Zone 2 Ward 16

a. Flood issues
In December 2023, nearly 3000 people residing in Vaikkadu, Andalkuppam,
Ilanthanur, Dwaraka Nagar, Manali Puthu Nagar phase 1 & 2,
Kaniyappanpettai, and Burma nagar were affected severely by the floods. Water
from these areas feeds into the Kosasthalaiyar river via Manali-Sadayankuppam
area. Particularly, Manali-Sadayankuppam area was one of the regions affected
by heavy rainfall. In this area, where over 1000 people reside, the people suffered
for 5 days without proper drainage during the last december rains. Water
continuously flowed through the area, reaching heights of about 8 to 10 feet,
effectively isolating it like an island from other regions. This led to the disruption
of daily life and livelihoods. Some people lost their possessions, and there were
instances where it was even impossible to properly conduct the last rites for the
deceased due to the situation.

18 of 56 | P a g e
 b. Reasons for Flooding
1. The Kosasthalaiyar River, which spans about 40 meters in width, narrows
down to just 5 meters in some places in the Sadayankuppam area. This
narrowing is mainly due to encroachments made by companies, causing
the water to surround and inundate the residential areas.

2. Along the 100-feet road in the Madhavaram-Mathur area, the banks of the
Kosasthalaiyar River are well-constructed. However, after crossing the
bridge on Manali High Road, there are no banks built for the river. This
section hasn't been deepened or widened. When there is heavy rain or
when the Puzhal reservoir releases water, this area gets flooded.
3. Currently, many private companies in these areas have encroached the
existing water bodies.
4. In Sadayankuppam - Burma Nagar main road, there were more than 9
canals, which were the waterways for rainwater to reach the
Kosasthalaiyar River. However, now only one canal remains functional,
and another one is barely surviving. The rest of the canals have been
closed by companies. Even the culverts built over them have become
obsolete. The blocked canals, unable to cross the road to reach the
Kosasthalaiyar River, cause rainwater to accumulate in the residential

19 of 56 | P a g e
 areas, turning it into a major problem for the local people. This situation
disrupts the daily lives of the residents for about 15 days.

Fig : Photo taken on 2022

Water Stagnant on
land encroached by
Private party.
Fig : 4 days after December 4 cyclone Michaung

5. In the Sadayankuppam area, an Oothukulam that existed a few years ago

has now been reduced to a tiny pond, barely big enough to be found with
a net, and the maintenance of the Sadayankuppam Lake has been
neglected.
6. Furthermore, the pathways for rainwater in this area, through which
water used to flow through, have been converted into heaps of
construction waste.

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future

1. Widen the Kosasthalaiyar river at Manali area to its original width and
original depth.
2. Free the 9 canals connecting the Manali-Sadayankuppam areas to the
Kosasthalaiyar river from encroachment of the companies and ensure free
flow of water.
3. Desilt and maintain the Sadayankuppam lake properly.
4. Restore Oothukulam.
5. Look at the water carrying capacity of the channels from Vaikkadu,
Andalkuppam to the Kosasthalaiyar river and ensure that there is enough
carrying capacity even at times of heavy rainfall like last year. If there is
not enough carrying capacity, kindly find ways to have enough channels
of carrying capacity.

20 of 56 | P a g e
5. Vyasarpadi Zone 4, Ward 46

a. Flood Issues
In Vyasarpadi, Ward 46, Perambur Constituency - the area, home to
approximately 3,000 families, was one of the regions affected by the December
2023 Cyclone. This area, developed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat
Development Board, including Mullai Nagar, M.G.R Nagar, and J.J Nagar,
experienced water logging due to rainwater from December 4, 2023, to
December 8, 2023.

b. Reasons for Flooding

1. Water from MKB Nagar and Sathyamoorthy Nagar flows into Mullai
Nagar, M.G.R Nagar, and J.J Nagar flooding these parts; a portion of the
rainwater should be directed towards Captain Cotton Canal, while
another portion should flow into the Buckingham Canal. There is
currently no adequate pathway for the rainwater from areas such as
MKB Nagar, Sathyamoorthy Nagar, Mullai Nagar, M.G.R Nagar, and J.J
Nagar to reach the Buckingham Canal.
2. A railway wall built along one side of Kalyanapuram Street obstructs the
flow of rainwater to the Buckingham Canal, causing it to stagnate in the
area.

21 of 56 | P a g e
 3. The incomplete construction of the surrounding walls of the Captain
Cotton Canal has led to water spilling over into residential areas.
4. Additionally, the canal lacks sufficient desilting and has not been
widened adequately, causing rainwater to accumulate on the main road
of Sathyamoorthy Nagar.
5. Just before reaching the Buckingham Canal, the Captain Cotton Canal
narrows significantly, appearing clogged with construction debris. This
issue requires investigation and remediation.

c. Recommendations to prevent flooding in future

1. Research and implement ways to clear the railway wall obstruction and
ensure flow of water from Kalyanapuram main road to Buckingham canal/
Captain Cotton canal based on gradient.
2. Restore the narrow pathways of Captain Cotton canal to its width to
ensure flow of water and ensure adequate carrying capacity.
3. The Government must ensure that the surrounding walls of Captain
Cotton canal are properly repaired and maintained.
4. Clear the blockages across Captain Cotton canal as seen in the below
image near the joining point of Buckingham canal.

22 of 56 | P a g e
6. Mettupalayam Govindan Street Zone 6 Ward 71

1. Flood Issues
People in this area are from economically weaker
section and were severely affected by the flood.
During the floods in December 2023, rainwater
stagnated for nearly 5 days in this area and the
water level was nearly 4 to 5 feet high. People here
had to suffer immensely as there was no electricity
for almost 1 week. Sewage-mixed water entered
people’s houses. Residents shared that they have
been going through this ordeal during every rainy
season and it was much more than the previous
years this time. People resorted to protest since

there was no drinking water for 5 days.

5. Reasons for Flood

Following are the reasons for flooding in this area:
1. The main reason for the flood is that the Otteri Nalla Canal that is flowing
nearby overflowed and filled the area.
2. Even though there were storm water drains in Govindan street, it was of
no use as the water was full in the Nalla itself and hence the area was
completely flooded for 5 days.
3. In the adjoining Stephenson Road, storm water drains between Govindan
street and Otteri Nalla is missing, flooding the streets.
4. Sewage-mixed water from Perambur BB road flows into Govindan Street
and stagnates. During the rainy season, this water also contributes to
flooding.

23 of 56 | P a g e
 5. Additionally, to help remove water from the area, the officials did not visit
the area for the first few days resulting in no solution. Only from the 5 th
day, water started receding below 2 feet.

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future

1. Restore the waterbody in the empty land next to Govindan street and water
should be diverted there before being taken to Otteri Nalla.
2. Create a water body in the OSR Land near the Otteri Nalla Canal.
3. Eventhough there is a storm water drain in Govindan street, there is a
missing link between it and Otteri Nalla. There is a need for a storm water
drain along the adjoining Stephenson Road connecting Govindan street to
Otteri Nalla.
4. Water from Perambur BB Road must be diverted to Buckingham canal
and ensure that water from this area does not flood Govindan street.
5. Ensure proper maintenance of Otteri Nalla and Buckingham canal which
is key to prevent flooding in the area.

24 of 56 | P a g e
7. Pattalam Choolai, Zone 6, Ward 78

a. Flood Issues
During the 2023 flood, places such
as Govindapuram Zone 6, Ward 76
and Narasinga Perumal Koil Street
in Choolai, Zone 6 and Ward 78 in
Pattalam, experienced significant
flooding, with water levels
reaching up to 5 feet and
stagnating for four days. The
floodwater, which included rainwater mixed with drainage water, entered homes
in the area. The 2023 floods were notably more severe than those in 2015,
largely attributed to the increased height of the roads, which contributed to the
rainwater entering the houses.

b. Reasons for Flooding

1. It has been observed that during the rainy season, the Otteri Nalla Canal
overflows, causing flood water from Purasavakkam, Vepery, and Choolai
to accumulate in Govindapuram and Narasinga Perumal Koil Street.
2. Therefore, it is clear that the carrying capacity of Otteri Nalla is not
sufficient and floods the low-lying areas of Choolai.

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future

Assess the maximum rainfall volumes in Purasaivakkam, Vepery, and Choolai

areas and widen/construct drainage canals that will have sufficient water
carrying capacity as applicable.

25 of 56 | P a g e
8. Ambattur Estate Flooding

a. Flood Issues
Apart from flooding of many
residential areas, this time we also
saw heavy flooding of the
Ambattur industrial areas.
Ambattur estate industrial areas
where there are thousands of
micro, small and medium
industries, got severely flooded.
The loss for these industries ran
into crores of rupees as water
entered the machines in these
areas.

b. Reasons for flooding

1. Ambattur Lake is the second-

largest lake in Chennai. It spans
an area of 400 acres. Originally,
this lake covered an area of over
1,000 acres, but due to the
construction of buildings by the
Housing Board, it has shrunk to
its current size of 400 acres.

26 of 56 | P a g e
 2. The excess water from Ambattur Lake, through the drainage channel,
passes through Ambattur Estate and Pattaravakkam and reaches
Korattur Lake and the Lucas TVS channel. Due to the National Green
Tribunal's order not to release wastewater into Korattur Lake, the
wastewater from areas like Ambattur, Ambattur Estate, and
Pattaravakkam, and surrounding regions, is accumulated throughout the
year in the Ambattur SIDCO canal. Since 2015, whenever there is heavy
rainfall, as water cannot flow into Korattur Lake, areas like Ambattur
Estate, SIDCO, TDP Colony, and Pattaravakkam suffer from flooding. This
year, due to the flood caused by the rains, there has been a loss of several
hundred crores of rupees in the Ambattur Industrial Estate. People
struggled in the floods for 3 to 4 days.
3. The drainage channel of Ambattur Lake is called the Ambattur SIDCO
canal. It is filled with solid waste and liquid sewage at many places and is
narrow in several spots. This Ambattur SIDCO canal, besides carrying the
excess water from Ambattur Lake, also needs to drain water from the
catchment areas between Ambattur Lake and Korattur Lake, including
Ambattur, SIDCO, Estate, Pattaravakkam, and Menambedu.

27 of 56 | P a g e
c. Recommendations to prevent flooding in future
1. Completely purify the wastewater from Ayappakkam, Ambattur, and the
Ambattur catchment area before being released into Ambattur Lake.
2. Until a comprehensive underground sewage system is implemented in
the Ambattur Lake catchment area, establish a wastewater treatment
facility to purify the wastewater before it enters the lake.
3. Dredge and deepen the Ambattur Lake to an average depth of 20 feet.
4. Modify the overflow channels at Ambattur Lake, especially near
Ambedkar Street where they converge, to ensure the complete outflow of
excess water.

5. Correct the narrowing of the Ambattur SIDCO canal at the crossing of the
MTH Road.
6. Clean the Ambattur SIDCO Canal which is heavily polluted with solid and
liquid waste, and safeguard against future accumulation.

7. Redesign the Ambattur SIDCO

Canal to carry not just the
excess water from Ambattur
Lake but also the water from
catchment areas like Ambattur,
SIDCO, Estate, Pattaravakkam,
and Menambedu.

8. Clear the blockages near Manikka Vinayagar Temple, caused by a large

accumulation of garbage.

28 of 56 | P a g e
 9. Unclog and repair the drainage at Anna Street in Ambattur Estate, which
splits into two and partially becomes a covered drain over a distance of
0.84 km, as it is heavily clogged with waste and needs to be cleared.
10. Unblock the storm water drains on 1st and 2nd Cross Streets as the drains
on these streets are blocked and need to be opened.
11. Clean all the canals which are clogged with waste and sewage, occupying
50 to 60 percent of their capacity.
12. Convert the vacant land behind the
Godrej Factory on the road leading to
Pattaravakkam, into a water body.
Similar small water bodies can be created
in available spaces to prevent flooding
and drought.
13. Clear the blockages under Chennai
Bypass as it is completely blocked.
14. Widen and clean the SIDCO Canal along
Chennai Bypass.
15. Restore, clean and maintenance the
Canals along the Railway Tracks from
Pattaravakkam to Korattur which
currently carry sewage.
16. Ensure at least 80% of the buildings in
the catchment area of Ambattur Lake
have effective rainwater harvesting
systems.

29 of 56 | P a g e
9. Korattur

a. Flood Issues
A lot of streets in Korattur got heavily flooded. Particularly, Lucas TVS canal,
significant flooding has affected Korattur Central Avenue, North Avenue,
Housing Board residences, Korattur North, and surrounding areas got heavily
flooded. This year, these regions experienced more than six days of flooding,
causing substantial economic losses and damage, including water entering
homes, affecting the lives and livelihoods of the residents of Korattur.

b. Reasons for Flooding

1. Due to the excessive release of rainwater from the Ambattur Estate and
SIDCO area into the Lucas TVS canal, significant flooding has affected
Korattur Central Avenue, North Avenue, Housing Board residences,
Korattur North, and surrounding areas.
2. This year, these regions experienced more than six days of flooding,
causing substantial economic losses and damage, including water
entering homes, affecting the lives and livelihoods of the residents of
Korattur.

30 of 56 | P a g e
 3. When converting the Lucas TVS canal into a concrete canal, its width was
reduced at the primary section and further narrowed down to ten feet,
obstructing the path under a 200-foot bridge. This short-sighted decision
has transformed Korattur into a flood zone. If the canal's width had been
maintained, the surrounding areas wouldn't have been affected by floods
as the rainwater would have been efficiently channelled.
4. Currently, the constructed stormwater drains are not useful in spite of
being present.

c. Recommendations to prevent flooding in future

1. Fully treat the wastewater from areas like Ambattur, Ambattur Estate, and
Pattaravakkam before being discharged into the water channel, to prevent
direct pollution.
2. Establish a wastewater treatment plant near the Korattur Pumping
Station [currently non-operational] to treat wastewater daily before it
reaches the lake.
3. Direct the rainwater from areas like Korattur Central Avenue, North
Avenue, Housing Board Residences, and Korattur North into the canal.
4. With Lucas TVS canal being fully occupied by water, the excess water from
SIDCO nagar is blocked, posing a risk of flooding in Otteri Nullah as well.
Revert this to its original path to prevent such occurrences.
5. Ambattur, Korattur, and Retteri Lakes form a chain of lakes over 1400
acres. If these lakes had an average depth of 20 feet, they could store
approximately 1.2 TMC of water. Desilt and deepen the surrounding areas
of Ambattur Lake, Ambattur Estate, SIDCO, and Korattur from flooding
and conserve excess water, offering a resource during dry seasons.
6. Ensure that all buildings in the catchment area of Korattur Lake have at
least 80% rainwater harvesting to maximize water collection.
7. Install rainfall-measuring gauges in the catchment areas of Ambattur,
Korattur, and Retteri Lakes to monitor and manage rainwater efficiently.

31 of 56 | P a g e
10. Virugambakkam Canal

a. Flood Issues
Residents of Sai nagar in Virugambakkam and residents of Choolaimedu shared
how their areas were completely flooded during the heavy rains in December
2023.

b. Reason for flooding

1. Both the areas were flooded because of the overflowing of Virugambakkam

canal.
2. The Virugambakkam Canal starts from Bhuvaneswari Nagar, passing
through Virugambakkam, Sai Nagar, Chinmaya Nagar, Arumbakkam, and
Choolaimedu, and finally flows under the bridge on Nelson Manickam
Road into the Cooum River. Initially, there was a lake in Virugambakkam
at the beginning of this canal, which is now completely closed for
construction of IAS / IPS officers' housing.
3. The catchment area of the Virugambakkam Canal is approximately 11
square kilometers. The water from areas like Koyambedu, Nerkundram,
and Maduravoyal used to be stored in the Virugambakkam Lake and,
upon overflowing, would flow into the Virugambakkam Canal. However,
with the absence of the Virugambakkam Lake, all the water now directly
flows into the canal.
4. It is necessary to study whether rainwater from Porur, Vanagaram, and
Alapakkam also flows into the Virugambakkam Canal. Due to the canal's
initial section being filled from its catchment area, it does not absorb water
from other catchment areas along its path, leading to flooding in
Virugambakkam, Sai Nagar, Chinmaya Nagar, Arumbakkam, and
Choolaimedu. During the December cyclone, the areas along the canal
faced flooding ranging from 3 to 6 feet for four days, similar to the floods
in 2015.
5. The Virugambakkam Canal is constricted at several places along its path.
6. Additionally, the continuous flow of wastewater throughout the year and
blockages caused by solid and liquid waste contribute to flooding. A canal
is not just a pipe connecting two places; it is a naturally formed path for
rainwater, designed to expand according to the volume of water it carries.
The canal absorbs water from the surrounding areas and widens as
necessary during its journey.
7. Assuming the catchment area of the Virugambakkam Canal is 11 square
kilometers, a rainfall of 10 centimeters would produce approximately 0.4
32 of 56 | P a g e
 TMC of water. During the December cyclone, if there had been 50
centimeters of rainfall, it would have generated around 2 TMC of water. A
canal's purpose is to store rainwater from its catchment area and prevent
the excess water from causing floods by efficiently channeling it.

c. Recommendations to prevent flooding in future

1. Conduct a comprehensive survey of the entire catchment area of the
Virugambakkam canal including rainfall levels and prepare detailed plans.
2. Ensure 80% rainwater harvesting in all buildings throughout the
Virugambakkam canal catchment area.
3. Implement necessary rainwater harvesting measures on roads in the
catchment area to maximize water collection.
4. Ensure that the collected water from the catchment area is directed
towards the canal, requiring the construction of rainwater canals at
strategic locations to facilitate this flow.

33 of 56 | P a g e
 5. Prevent solid and liquid waste from entering the canal and the
Virugambakkam canal, and create rainwater harvesting systems within
them.
6. Consider the excess water from the Alapakkam Lake and its impact on the
catchment area, calculate the water storage capacity accordingly, and
adjust the depth and width of the Virugambakkam canal to accommodate
maximum rainfall.
7. Bridges crossing the canal should be elevated to prevent blockages of
floodwater and ensure that solid and liquid wastes do not obstruct the
water flow. Particularly, Bridges in Choolaimedu crossing the canal are too
low and should be elevated to prevent flooding.
8. Create a pond in the empty space at the beginning of the Virugambakkam
canal and establish water bodies throughout the catchment area wherever
possible.
9. Until a comprehensive underground drainage system is completed,
establish small wastewater treatment facilities at the beginning and within
the catchment area of the canal to purify the water before it enters the
canal.
10. The canal in Choolaimedu narrows at several points; it needs to be
widened and deepened based on a complete survey to ensure adequate
flow capacity.
11. Construct retaining walls where needed in Vinobaji 3rd Street in
Choolaimedu to prevent flooding and facilitate the flow of rainwater into
the canal.
12. Address the issue in Vinobaji Street and NGO Colony areas where
rainwater does not properly flow into the stormwater drains, requiring
corrections to ensure efficient drainage.

34 of 56 | P a g e
11. Porur Lake Area

a. Flood Issues
Everytime during monsoon, the areas around Porur lake is heavily flooded due
to several issues in Porur lake.

b. Reason for Flooding and Recommendations to prevent flooding in

future:
1. Strengthen the Eastern side Sluicegate towards Madanandapuram –
Mugalivakkam Road – Kolapakkam – Adyar River till the end where it
mixes with Adyar River and ensure that there is sufficient carrying
capacity.
2. It has been 10 years since the Porur lake was desilted and deepened.
Therefore, completely desilt the Porur lake area in Karambakkkam Village,
survey 151 and 152 and Porur village, survey No.370/1 and
Thelliaragaram Agaram Village, survey no.138 and deepening/ mining of
Porur Lake area by one to two-meter depth, in the upcoming summer to
increase the Storage capacity of water.
3. The Desilted Earth can neither be sold nor transported elsewhere. The
desilted Earth can be used to fence the Porur Lake areas and Western
Bund can be created by the Water Resources Department, similar to that
of the Eastern Bund on Madhanandhapuram side.
4. Box Culvert Provision may be constructed beneath the Western bund
created to allow the rain water to easily flow into Porur Lake.
5. Complete the broader Storm Water Channel made at Mount Poonamallee
Road from Kattupakkam and partly completed up to Sri Ramachandra
Medical College compound wall western side (opposite), till Porur Lake to
achieve the purpose.

35 of 56 | P a g e
12. Royapettah Zone 9,Ward 115

a. Flood Issues
The flood audit report for Zone 09, Ward 115,
along Dr. Besant Road highlights significant
drainage and water stagnation issues. The area,
particularly near D3 Police Station to Mirsha Pet
Market, suffers from frequent flooding. The
floodwater originates from Peters Road (Division
119), Jani Jaan Road, and interior roads around
Besant Road, exacerbating the situation. In
December 2023, the region faced intense
flooding, with water rising to 5 feet and persisting
for two days. On regular rainy days, water
stagnation of 2 to 3 feet is common.

b. Reason for Flooding

1. The volume of the Buckingham Canal has shrunk due to the construction of
MRTS railway pillars on the canal.
2. Dr. Besant Road has two stormwater drains, one SWD remains incomplete
for a stretch of 200/450 meters, and 11 rainwater harvesting pits are yet to
be constructed. The old stormwater drain on Peters Road is filled with silt,
hindering rainwater flow. Jani Jaan Street has no Stormwater drainage
system.
3. From Besant Road to Buckingham Canal, a drainage is constructed at a
height of more than 12 feet.

36 of 56 | P a g e
c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future
1. Widen and restore the Buckingham Canal at Royapettah area to its
original width and original depth.
2. Complete the drains with missing links immediately.
3. Correct the gradient of the drain, otherwise the existing drains with the
wrong gradient are useless.

13. Velachery

a. Flood issues
Velachery is colloquially known as 'Vellachery' due to its tendency to flood. Every
rainfall season, Velachery naturally gets affected. During the Migjaum cyclone, the
area was submerged under floodwaters for around four to five days, severely disrupting
the daily lives of its residents. It could be said that Velachery was probably one of the
worst affected in Chennai Floods. Many were forced to resort to boats for evacuation
and for accessing essential services like schools, workplaces, ration shops, and
hospitals. Due to charges levied for using boats, locals created makeshift boats using
materials such as wooden planks, thermocol, and water cans. The area, which houses
approximately 500 families, faces annual flooding, with water stagnation lasting up to
15 days.

37 of 56 | P a g e
b. Reasons for Flooding
Around 20 residents audited the different parts which were flooded and understood
the reasons behind flooding.

1. Previously, a brick kiln existed in the area, which was later abandoned, leading
to settlement by people. The location is in a low-lying area, approximately 10 feet
below the Poonamallee High Road, contributing to its flooding issues.
2. The original expanse of Velachery Lake was about 255 acres, which has now
shrunk to 55 acres. The other half of the lake, across the 100 Feet Road in
Velachery, has disappeared, and work is ongoing to convert the lake's channel
into a covered canal. Covered canals are visible in various parts of Chennai, but
it's unclear how the Municipality plans to maintain them. Approximately half of
the 2 km long channel of Velachery Lake is filled with debris and wastewater.
This raises questions about how flood waters will be managed.
3. The Velachery channel merges with the Veerangal Odai and then reaches the
Pallikaranai marshland. Veerangal Odai starts near Mathiyazhagan Road in
Ullagaram, passing through Nanganallur and Adambakkam, crossing Velachery
to reach Pallikaranai. Another path from Veerangal Odai comes from Alandur
and Adambakkam. Rainwater from areas like Trisulam, Meenambakkam,
Palavanthangal, Alandur, Adambakkam, Nanganallur, Puzhuthivakkam,
Guindy Governor's Mansion, and IIT regions flows through Velachery to reach
Pallikaranai. The neighborhoods of Ram Nagar, Srinivasa Nagar, Padmavathi
Nagar, Murugu Nagar, VOC Nagar, Shankar Nagar, and Kuberan Nagar were
affected by floods up to 5 feet deep for four days. The residents had difficulty
accessing the 100 feet road leading to Alandur.

The southern part of Velachery, including areas like Thadeswaram Nagar,

Dhandeeswaram Nagar, Ramakrishna Nagar, Bhuvaneswari Nagar, Baby Nagar,
Annai Indira Nagar, Vijayanagar, Murugu Nagar, Kalki Nagar, AGS Colony, VGP
Selva Nagar, Ayodhya Colony, wards 177 and 178, IIT, and Taramani, release
their water to Pallikaranai through a rainwater canal located near Perungudi

38 of 56 | P a g e
 station road, via a six-vent canal bridge. Before railway lines were laid in 2007,
water flowed widely to Pallikaranai, but now it's restricted to passing through
the six-vent bridge, causing flooding in the areas above.

4. The construction of roads and railway tracks, like the Velachery-Tambaram

highway and elevated rail tracks, without proper study of water paths, especially
small streams, is a significant cause of flooding.

5. If the 300-acre garbage dump in Pallikaranai marshland were absent, the marsh
could absorb the water, reducing flood impact.

c. Recommendations to prevent Flooding in future

1. Conduct thorough research on the areas contributing water to the six-vent
bridge and expand it accordingly to manage the water flow better.
2. Widen and properly desilt the drainage canal on Perungudi Station Road to 20
feet to ensure efficient water flow.
3. Dredge the Velachery Lake and strengthen its banks. The expansion should be
sufficient to double its water-holding capacity.
4. Address the issue of some sections of the canal from Velachery Lake to
Pallikaranai Marshland which are too narrow and not properly maintained.
5. Create water bodies at Raj Bhavan, Guindy race course, etc so that these rain
water harvesting structures could prevent flooding due to the rainwater falling
in these premises. Excess water alone can be taken outside via outlets.
6. Implement comprehensive solid and liquid waste management across these
areas, as poor waste management is a major cause of flooding.

39 of 56 | P a g e
 7. Establish wastewater treatment plants in canals and lakes, until comprehensive
waste management is in place, to ensure water is treated before being
discharged.
8. Consult with the local community before any project is initiated, ensuring their
participation and monitoring.
9. Clean and maintain the canal constructed along the Velachery-Taramani Road
in 2016, measuring 4 km in length and 20 feet in width.
10. Dredge, deepend and widen the large Kallukuttai Lake near Perungudi Railway
Station and raise it banks for proper maintenance.

11. Continuous discharge of wastewater into the Pallikaranai Marshland has

resulted in significant sediment accumulation, with several feet of sediment present.
From a catchment area spanning 235 square kilometers, excess water from 106
water bodies flows into the Pallikaranai Marshland. Therefore, conduct a thorough

40 of 56 | P a g e
 environmental study involving experts to rehabilitate and restore the Pallikaranai
Marshland effectively.
12. Remove the approximate 300 acres of waste dumped in Pallikaranai Marshland,
and restore the area. Additionally, make the online public monitoring of the treated
water from the Perungudi wastewater treatment plant available 24/7.
13. Widen the canal from Thoraipakkam to Okkiyam Thoraipakkam and the
Okkiyam Maduvu.
14. Appoint an expert committee to assess and devise proper discharge mechanisms,
for the water that travels approximately 14.5 km from Okkiyam Maduvu to
Muttukadu and then into the sea, considering the rising sea levels due to global
warming.
15. Dredge and deepen the water bodies in the water catchment areas, such as the
Adambakkam Lake, Velachery Lake, and other ponds, and if possible, create new
ponds.

16. The connection between Velachery Lake’s outlet and Veerangal Odai causes
flooding due to water not flowing freely. Therefore, establish a separate drainage
path for Velachery Lake to Pallikaranai Marshland.
17. Ensure that at least 80% of rainwater harvesting is implemented in all buildings
within the area. Additionally, establish rainwater harvesting systems on roads and
in canals.
18. Widen the entry path of Veerangal Odai into Pallikaranai (via Velachery -
Tambaram Main Road) as per requirements.
19. Ensure complete prevention of solid and liquid waste entry into Pallikaranai
Marshland.

41 of 56 | P a g e
 20. Implement thorough research and design of water pathways while constructing
roads and flyovers, such as Velachery - Tambaram Main Road and the Elevated
Railway Track, to prevent flooding.

14. Thiruverkadu Municipal, ICL Hometown & GCC, Ward 150.

a. Flood Issues
In the residential area of ICL, for 6 days, the flood
water stagnated between 3 and 4 feet in all the 6
streets. The floodwater was only removed with the
help of motors. Families had to evacuate ICL
Hometown with their kids and elders during
evening/ night hours on 04-Dec-23. They had to
walk in flood water which was more than their waist
level, that too in dark and with no safety measures.
Compared to the 2015 floods, December 2023 flood
was worse, with a more significant impact. Usually,
rain water will stagnate for 3-4 days and the water
level will be between 1.5 to 2 feet. But during this
2023 rain, rainwater stagnated for one week and
the water level was between 3-4 feet. There was no
electricity or drinking water supply for 5 days.
Every year, during the monsoon season, these
areas experience flooding.

42 of 56 | P a g e
b. Reasons for Flooding
1. The main reason for the flood
is that the rainwater from
Noombal is manually diverted
directly into an empty patta
land in GCC limit, next to Agni
Fairyland and ICL Hometown,
every year. Additionally, rain
water from Puliyamedu,
Judges Colony, Susai colony
and A. S. Shipping also flows
through ICL Hometown.
2. Incomplete construction of the
stormwater drainage connection in the ICL residential area is another
contributor to the flood situation. Even though SWD exists in ICL
Hometown, it is not connected to the main SWD. So the rain water simply
stays inside the SWD and flows back into the ICL Hometown streets.

43 of 56 | P a g e
 3. The main stormwater drain in the ICL
residential area is very small in size (3
* 4 feet), which is insufficient to handle
the large volume of floodwater we face.
The gradient of the SWD (Storm Water
Drain) is another major issue. A
resident says, “The floodwater flowing
through the SWD in our location
cannot reach its final destination and
instead accumulates in our area for
many days, causing prolonged
flooding”.

c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future

2. Restore the pond in Thiruveedhi
Amman Temple Street to a
capacity that it could withstand
enough to handle the rainwater
coming from its surrounding
areas like Kattupakkam,
Puliyamedu, and Noombal. This
can help prevent flooding in the
ICL residential area.
3. Outlet channel overflowing from
this pond can then be taken via
Thiruveedhi Amman Temple
Street to the main road of
Noombal.
4. Extend the rainwater drainage channel running along Noombal Main Road
and connect the channel between Thiruverkadu and Vanagaram, joining
with the Cooum River. The slope and path of this water flow should be
carefully designed and constructed.
5. Establish a storm water drain connection from the third street of ICL to
the main road of Noombal. A barrier gate should be installed in this drain
to control the flow.

44 of 56 | P a g e
 6. Widen the main rainwater drain in Noombal, along with its surrounding
areas, according to the volume of rainwater.
7. Adjust the drainage system from the ICL residential area to match the
capacity of the above-mentioned main drainage channel.
8. Clean the rainwater drainage on Porur Link Road, covered, and properly
constructed to manage the water flow effectively.

15. Pallavaram & Chromepet Area

a. Flood Issues

There are several parts of Pallavaram and Chrompet that were flooded in
December 2023 and every monsoon. Whenever it rains for more than 15 minutes
continuously, the rainwater floods the GST road for 3 to 4 feet causing vehicular
movement disruption and traffic congestion for about 5 km on either side.

Following 3 points were heavily flooded in GST Road/NH 45:

1. Tambaram Government Hospital

2. Vetri Theatre
3. Ponds/Thiruneermalai Junction.

Images:
1. PWD canal at Ponds /Thiruneermalai Jn.
2. GST Road Infront of Vetri Theatre
3. PWD canal Opp. Vetri Theatre
4. Encroachment in PWD canal Thiruneermalai Jn

45 of 56 | P a g e
Areas flooded within those points:

i. English Electric Nagar – East: This area is a new residential cum commercial
area which is continuously flooded during most part of the year, as the surplus
canal from Putheri lake connecting Keezhkatalai lake passes through this area.

ii. Kattabomman Nagar, Mallika Nagar: (North side of Pallavaram Thoraipakkam

Radial Road and comes under Pallavaram Area) Block 24 – Ward C were flooded
heavily.

iii. RKV Avenue, Highways Nagar: (North side of Pallavaram Thoraipakkam

Radial Road and comes under Pallavaram Area) were also flooded heavily and
this area gets flooded every year during monsoon.

iv. Thiruthani Nagar, Renuga Nagar: (North side of Pallavaram Thoraipakkam

Radial Road and comes under Pallavaram Area) were also flooded heavily.

b. Reasons for flooding and Recommendations to prevent flooding

1. Three inlet canals of Pallavaram lake (10” to 60”) are encroached and just
left with 5 to 10 feet. The canals in the present stage are unable to carry a
huge volume of water.
2. Chromepet Station road, Radha nagar main road Flooding – The canal
which starts from Tambaram Government hospital crosses the said area
which is totally encroached and hence unable to carry the actual volume
of water.

46 of 56 | P a g e
 3. Pallavaram Periya Eri (Pallavaram lake) on the south side is filled with
legacy waste (Bio-mining of a small portion was done in 2020 – 21) and a
small portion with sewage-mixed water. On the northern side large
portions (about 10 to 15 acres) are left as land mass without desilting. The
weir/sluice gate/Surplus gate is always open. The lake is completely
silted. Throughout the year it’s filled with stagnant sewage-mixed water let
out by Tambaram Corporation.

4. Chromepet - Natesan Nagar, Suriya

Avenue, Ishwarya Nagar Flooding:
Since the outlet canal of the
Pallavaram lake is totally
encroached and, in some places,
silted completely, the outlet canal
of Putheri is narrow and not able to
carry the rain/flood water since the
carrying capacity is decreased and
leads to flooding. Small canal of about 7 feet running through Natesan
nagar is not well defined and desilted.

47 of 56 | P a g e
 5. Senthil Nagar, Ramamoorthy Nagar,
Om Shakthi nagar Extn, English
Electric Nagar- West - (New Residential
areas) are completely flooded in the
past 5 years. Surplus canal connected
with Hasthinapuram lake has been
completely encroached and diverted.
Thus, the Hasthinapuram lake is not
available now, which has been
converted to plots & residential houses
approved by the then Pallavaram
Municipality. Putheri surplus canal passes through this area and is very
narrow at many places.

6. English Electric Nagar – East: This

area is a new residential cum
commercial area which is
continuously flooded during most
part of the year, as the surplus
canal from Putheri lake connecting
Keezhkatalai lake passes through
this area. The canal is totally silted
without boundaries marked,
encroached in most places. This
surplus canal at the connecting

48 of 56 | P a g e
 point near Keezhkatalai lake is missing. During the past three years many
representations have been made to the Chengalpattu District Collector.

7. These areas are totally flooded year after year during monsoon, because of
the PWD canal (Survey no.186/1 TSno.79/1) being silted and encroached
near Vel’s University. Eviction notice was issued on 09/02/2017 by Junior
Engineer Mr. Mahendra Kumar (PWD) but none of the encroachments
have been removed till date.

8. RKV Avenue and Highways Nagar areas are flooded continuously every
year during the monsoon. There are 2 PWD canals width of which are 17’
to 20’ which is running through RKV avenue and Highways Nagar west
layout which connects Putheri surplus canal crossing Pallavaram
Thoraipakkam Radial Road. The canal which runs along(Survey
no.143/1P, 144/1, 145/1, 168/1 &178/5P at Block 22 Ward C) Alliance
Galleria on the East side has shrunk to 4’ from 17’; the other canal which
runs through (Survey no.174/5, 167/4, 146/2, 147/1 &142/1P at Block
21&22 Ward C) Ascendas and connects at the Pallavaram Thoraipakkam
Culvert has partially been desilted in 2023 by PWD, part of this canal is
encroached by Ascendas and on a small portion of the canal a compost
yard has been built by Tambaram Corporation.

9. Thiruthani Nagar areas are also flooded throughout the year during
monsoon. A canal runs on the west side of the Thiruthani nagar which
has been encroached and silted (not visible). This canal needs to be
connected to the Culvert at the Pallavaram Thoraipakkam Radial Road
which has to ultimately join the Putheri surplus canal on the southern
side.

49 of 56 | P a g e
 10. At Renuga nagar, the rainwater from Katcheri hills must cross the
Dharga road and join the PWD canal which runs through Pallavaram
Thoraipakkam Radial Road. This canal had been encroached for a small
portion and diverted through Storm water drains which are the cause of
flooding of this area.

50 of 56 | P a g e
 11. The encroachments mentioned in the above waterbodies and water
channels needs to be cleared and the same may be restored to its original
capacity.

16. Pammal and Anakaputhur:

a. Flood Issues
The houses on Pammal Main Road and
interior roads were flooded heavily.
Water from the Moongileri area flowed
across the road and filled up the ground
floor houses in Pammal Main Road and
the interior areas. The places
surrounding Thirupananthaal lake were
also flooded heavily.

In Anakaputhur, water flowing from

Chembarambakkam onto the Adyar river overflowed in Anakaputhur and
flooded the streets. The flood was almost up to a distance of more than 300m
from the bank.

b. Reasons for flooding

1. Thirupananthal lake is situated in Krishna Nagar, Pammal near
Pallavaram. The lake has been heavily encroached over the years reducing
more than 80% of its capacity over the last 4 decades. This lake is critical
both for water storage as well as flood prevention as this is one of the few
remaining lakes in the area apart from Sooriyamman lake.
2. Many lakes such as Moongileri have been filled up by the Government and
housing units have been built on top of it. Tirupananthal lake’s overflow
used to drain into Periya Eri of Pallavaram as per 1972 map.
3. However, that connection has completely vanished and Tirupananthal
lake’s overflow drains into Adyar river through a channel of original width
of around 50 feet. There is another channel at the middle of the lake on
the northern side that joins with a channel near the Pammal main road.

51 of 56 | P a g e
 4. There are three channels from Sooriyamman temple pond that join the
Thirupananthal lake on the western side. Water from Moogileri also
connects to Adyar river through this narrow channel.
5. The entire Channel has been heavily encroached by builders and private
houses beyond their approved plot sizes, shrinking the channel to
anywhere between 4 to 6 feet at the first 50 metres of the outlet.
6. The Channel is completely choked with silt, plastic waste and garbage
affecting the flow of water significantly. Further down the stream, the
encroachments are so rampant that the constructions are right on the
Channel at the intersection of Krishna Nagar and Pammal main road.
7. After crossing the Pammal main road, the Channel expands to around 40
feet. This is completely filled with silt, sewage and garbage at different
places. This channel reaches a small pond at Anandan Street, Pammal.
However, the pond is being filled up currently with construction debris to
close down the channel and the pond.
8. The channel ends here and the overflow from here is diverted into 2 very
small channels of 2 to 3 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet depth. The condition of
these two channels is extremely poor, choked with sewage and garbage
with no maintenance. These 2 channels proceed further and join the Adyar
river near the airport at the Cowl bazar main road.
9. The Sinthalamman temple pond is in dilapidated condition, encroached
partially and also dumped with meat waste.
10. In Anakaputhur, during every monsoon, whenever water is released from
Chembarambakkam lake, water enters into the houses situated on both
the sides of the River.

52 of 56 | P a g e
c. Recommendation for prevention of flood in future
1. Widen the channels by clearing encroachments immediately for channels
from Sooriyamman lake, Thirupananthal lake and Moongileri.
2. Stop garbage dumping and clear the existing garbage.
3. Desilt the channels immediately.
4. Separate the drainage from the storm water channels.
5. Immediately restore the small pond near Anandan nagar that is filled in
currently.
6. Drop the proposal to convert Sinthalamman temple pond into a sewage
pumping station and properly restore the pond as a waterbody.
7. Restore the remaining 1 acre land in Moongileri as a waterbody and
widen the outlet channel to the Adyar river as explained above.
8. Desilt the Adyar river width and maintain the river properly.
9. Properly restore the Agastheeswarar temple tank and ensure that it is
not closed at any cost during the road widening process. The
Government does not have the power to allocate a waterbody for other
purposes.

53 of 56 | P a g e
 17. Adaiyalampattu Eri in Adaiyalampattu Village, Maduravoyal:

a. Flood Issues:
This is a case of an entire lake being encroached by a politician. Such
encroachments not only affect the local area but also increases the waterflow
downstream, thus flooding the downstream areas.

b. Reason behind flooding:

Through the records obtained via Right to Information as well as through online,
the revenue record clearly shows that the entire survey number 52/1 spanning
1.04 hectares (roughly 2.57 acres) is still a waterbody namely Adaiyalampattu
Eri. The FMB sketch of the waterbody obtained via RTI from Poonamalee Taluk
also shows the same. However, over the last several years, a TASMAC contractor
named Pandurangan who is also politically well connected locally had
encroached the lake completely. The lake has been completely filled up, used as
a garage and to halt his TASMAC vehicles. This can be clearly seen in the photo.
The Government waterbody is used as the business hub of the contractor by
filling it up. The entire administration even though aware of this is aiding the
encroachment by being a silent spectator. This waterbody is under the control
of Mr Pandurangan primarily due to the active connivance of the revenue and
other officials. All this is resulting in water during excess rainfall flood the
downstream.

54 of 56 | P a g e
c. Recommendation to avoid flooding in future
1. Immediate Removal of the Illegal Encroachment: The Collector and
revenue offficials must immediately clear all encroachments in the
waterbody survey number 52/1 of Adayalampattu Village, Poonamalee
Taluk, Tiruvallur district and take physical control over the Government
waterbody.
2. Reclamation and Restoration of the Water Body: Following the removal of
encroachments, facilitate the comprehensive reclamation of
Adaiyalampattu Lake at Survey No. 52/1 along with its inlet and outlets.
This should include enforcing measures to reinstate the water body's
original state and preserve its ecological equilibrium.

18. Conclusion:
The report gives a citizens view of several areas in the city that were severely
affected by the Floods. The citizen groups that carried out the audit are not
experts but ordinary citizens who made a sincere effort to look at the reasons
on why their areas were affected by flood and what needs to be done to ensure
that it doesn’t repeat in the future. Citizens in each of these areas are making
sincere efforts to restore the waterbodies, water channels and drains. The
Government must and shall make sincere efforts to address the issues raised
by citizens in this report and also actively consider the various
recommendations of the citizens. Together, we can make a difference!
The recommendations above covers the work of different departments.
The major work in the above receommendations mentioned for each of the areas
falls under the purview of Water Resources Department as they are incharge of
the major rivers, major lakes and canals in the city. However, this Department
has been completely non transparent in its working and needs to work on a
mission mode to restore waterbodies and channels in the city.
Chennai Corporation, Tambaram Corporation and other local bodies needs to
ensure that the missing link storm water drains and the capacity of the drains
mentioned in the report are properly corrected. The lakes falling under them
needs to be restored to its maximum original capacity.
CMDA needs to do act like an authority rather than playing second fiddle to the
revenue departments and reclassifying the waterbodies based on illegal revenue
record changes with respect to waterbodies. They need to ensure that

55 of 56 | P a g e
reclassification of waterbodies is not done and any change in ownership of
waterbodies to private layers / Government use is objected. Much more
importantly they need to play a key role in restoring the pallikaranai marshlands
by putting a complete halt to construction activities in the marshland and
reclassify all available vacant lands of the marsh to waterbody immediately. This
is key to urban planning.
The Revenue and Registration departments which has no business in the
waterbodies should ensure waterbodies are left undisturbed. They should
cancel the illegal pattas handed over in marshland and other areas over the last
few years and should also fix accountability on officials who created illegal patta
and did illegal registrations.
Metrowater Departments such as CMWSSB and others should stop letting in
sewage into the waterbodies and build sufficient capacity for treatment of waste
water.
All Government Departments must put a full stop to legalized encroachments
by their own departments in waterbodies such as Pallavaram Putheri and other
places.
Ultimately, the innumerable sufferings of people during floods is a result of lack
of political will of those in Government to maintain our waterbodies and
waterways. The Government must atleast now learn lessons from 2015 and
2023 and take the voices of citizens in this report seriously and work towards
restoring Chennai!

56 of 56 | P a g e
Email : contact@arappor.org
Call : 72000 20099