Chennai: In the wake of key arterial stretches either having dug up roads or abandoned storm water drain pits, Greater Chennai Corporation has identified about 70km long storm water drain missing links across the city. GCC commissioner G S Sameeran has directed officials to finish the missing links (two drains not connected with each other) before the northeast monsoon (NEM) kicks in.About 70km of these works are under GCC’s capital funds. These dug up stretches are in Anna Nagar, Kodambakkam, Royapettah, Adyar and KK Nagar. Key stretches include the second avenue in Anna Nagar, a 480m stretch in Jawaharlal Nehru High Road to Padi, and parts of New Avadi Road. In the 100-feet road, a ₹8.85 crore project has been stuck for long.In Ambattur, a ₹25-crore project involving laying 2.6km of stormwater drains connecting East Avenue Road through CTH Road and 200 Feet Road to the Otteri Nullah main canal too was yet to progress. In Madhavaram, a ₹22.88 crore drain work along Madhavaram–Redhills Main Road has also been asked to be pushed. The project includes construction of a 1,450m-long drain measuring 2m x 2m to divert stormwater from V.S. Mani Nagar through Madhavaram–Redhills Main Road, Balaji Nagar and Krishna Nagar into the Puzhal surplus water canal. This will prevent inundation in Manjambakkam, Vadaperumbakkam and Madhavaram areas.GCC commissioner G S Sameeran said there is also a one kilometre of missing link stretch under Kosasthalaiyar Basin SWD work under the Asian Development Bank project. He said under the KfW German-bank funded project for South Chennai, about 88km-long drain works are pending in OMR and ECR.“While we want to finish Capital Fund and ADB works before the NEM, about 25km out of the 88km in KfW work has been told to be completed in South Chennai before NEM. For the entire project, the deadline is Feb 2027,” said Sameeran.The commissioner said contractors too are slowly returning now post elections. “We are asking them to speed up works,” he added. Besides this, GCC will begin desilting of 44 canals by July, and also desilting of silt catch pits.
