Residents of Korattur and Ambattur Industrial Estate have been facing inundation and power outages for several days every Northeast monsoon. To address this issue, the Water Resources Department will soon build a channel to divert a portion of surplus water from Ambattur lake to the Cooum river.

The department will begin ₹ 130 crore project to reduce flood vulnerability in these localities in western parts of the city this week. Every year, the areas are marooned under sheets of water when Ambattur lake overflows owing to inadequate capacity to drain floodwater into Korattur lake.

A five-km channel is proposed to be built to carry a portion of the Ambattur lake’s surplus water from Cookson Road junction in the industrial estate’s north phase to Cooum river. The four-metre wide channel would travel via Third Main Road and service lane of Chennai Bypass Road and linked to Cooum river near Maduravoyal, said officials.

Residents urged that a significant portion of the flood mitigation work must be completed before the onset of NE monsoon. J.Gopalakrishnan, president, Korattur Federation of Residents Welfare Association said rainwater entered several houses in low lying areas of 25 to 29th streets of Venkatraman Nagar “People are worried to live on the ground floor of houses. Tenants insist on renting only first-floor houses and some residents even leave their houses locked during the rainy season,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan who hopes that projects would help reduce water logging by 30%.

Officials noted that the inadequate capacity of culverts along the Pattaravakkam railway line to carry the surplus water to Korattur lake was one of the reasons for floodwater spilling into the neighbourhood. The new channel, which does not require land acquisition, would carry about 400 cubic feet of water per second to Cooum river and reduce burden on waterways. Efforts are being taken to provide relief by this ensuing NE monsoon.

While industrial unit holders in Ambattur noted that the project is likely to reduce flooding in the estate by nearly one-third, Korattur residents like M.Ranganathan said it was essential to fill Korattur lake with rainwater, which otherwise ends up with sewage. The lake must be rejuvenated to manage floods.

Listing out measures to alleviate inundation, Ambattur MLA Joseph Samuel said another three-km channel would be built to divert water from Korattur’s North Avenue canal and link to Otteri Nullah via Imayam Colony in two phases. Steps are being initiated to improve the Korattur lake.