The Water Resources Department will implement the project to replace the causeway with a bridge with funds from the Officers Training Academy, Manapakkam.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
After nearly a decade, the work to upgrade a causeway across Adyar river near Manapakkam that caused flooding during the 2015 deluge will kick off in a few months.
The Water Resources Department will implement the project to replace the causeway with a bridge with funds from the Officers Training Academy, Manapakkam. The delay in sanctioning of funds from the Ministry of Defence resulted in the work being a non-starter, according to sources.
Residential areas, including Manapakkam and Kolapakkam, were marooned under sheets of water for many days as a few structures, including a pedestrian bridge, had obstructed the river flow and led to spill-over during 2015 December floods. The river had then carried a peak flow of nearly 80,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs).
The river in the upper reaches underwent some restoration to improve its flood-carrying capacity over the years. The remains of the pedestrian bridge that linked the OTA campus were removed in 2017. However, the causeway, which connected the OTA campus located on both sides of the river in Manapakkam, continues to hinder the flow and be a threat every time, the river witnesses a peak flow during monsoon.
It may be recalled that the obstruction of the flow near Manapakkam had caused flooding in airport runway as well then. Following a petition filed in the National Green Tribunal in 2016, the OTA was directed by the tribunal to remove debris in the Adyar river.
Officials of the WRD said though the department’s government order sanctioning construction of a high-level bridge across the river was issued five years ago, tender for the ₹24.8-crore project was floated only recently. The department would execute the work for OTA.
Once the work to replace the military causeway is completed, the flood-carrying capacity of the river near Manapakkam would be enhanced to about 50,000 cusecs.
A resident of Ramapuarm T.Balasubramanian has demanded continuous monitoring of the river for smooth flow of floodwater. The water hyacinth choking the portion of the waterway must be cleared periodically before the next rain spell to prevent waterlogging in areas like Ramapuram.
Officials noted that the work to remove water hyacinth clogging the river near the causeway was being carried out this monsoon. Moreover, the department had formed a channel on the land belonging to OTA to bridge a missing link in the Manapakkam channel that drains into the Adyar river. These works and the upcoming project to begin by January would provide a solution to inundation.
Published – October 24, 2024 09:45 pm IST