Highways Department to deploy pumps to 54 flood-prone spots on roads across Chennai

The Highways Department has identified 54 vulnerable locations on roads, which were flooded during last year’s Northeast monsoon. “We have arranged for 54 motorable pumps on tractors to be placed at these spots to prevent flooding during heavy rain,” said an official.

These points get flooded since they are usually lower than the mean sea level or nearby areas, and there isn’t any natural gradient allowing for the water to drain due to gravity. “In our parlance, we call such locations ‘saucers’. We do not have a choice but to pump out the water to nearby places where the flow is natural. Storm-water drains (SWDs) will not work in saucers, and if constructed, there will be backflow of water. Places such as Tiruvottiyur, Kolathur, and Ellis Road have such saucers,” a former Highways engineer said.

For one particular location on Inner Ring Road in Kolathur, motor pumps have been permanently kept on either side of the stretch to pump out water.

The department has storm-water drains running to a length of 624 km within the city limits. “We are in the process of desilting them. The choke pits are also being cleaned, and the covers that have been broken or need replacement are being taken care of,” a source said. Subways under the control of the Highways Department too are being constantly watched to keep them motorable during rain.

As far as missing links in the SWD network are concerned, the department has nearly completed the construction of one such SWD near Periyar Padhai. “Of the 500 m that remained, we have completed 420 m. The construction took time since there were just too many sewage outlets and power cables that had to be shifted. This piece of work took coordination from the other line departments,” said another engineer.