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Storm Water Drain

Introduction :

• The flat terrain of Chennai City literally necessitates effective Storm Water Drainage System.
• Corporation of Chennai developed and maintains a Storm Water Drain net work of 334 K.M. in the City.
• Corporation of Chennai, also maintains 16 canals of 27.92 K.M. cris-crossing city, from 2003-04.
• Rain water runoff gets drained through Storm Water Drain Net work & canals and reaches the see via four waterways - Otteri Nullah, Buckingham Canal, Adyar River and Cooum River - running across the city.

List Of Canals :

All the above 16 canals were fully desilted for a length of 27.921 km., at a cost of Rs.370 Lakhs.
In order to avoid stagnation of rain water, by increasing the Budget allocation gradually from 1996 - 1997 onwards more number of drain were constructed in Chennai City. It was noticed during last monsoon period, in vulnerable areas, stagnation is reduced considerably.

List Of Canals

Canals Desilting :

The desilting of the Storm Water Drain is carried out in two cycles in a financial year. The first cycle being from April to September the second cycle from October and March. Apart from desilting the existing Storm Water Drain in Chennai City, desilting work taken up on warfooting at the 16 Open canals in Chennai City, the details of which are as follows:
Besides, structural repairs are also carried out to Storm Water Drain Network and canals periodically.

In order to avoid stagnation of rain water, by increasing the Budget allocation gradually from 1996 - 1997 onwards more number of drain were constructed in Chennai City. It was noticed during last monsoon period, in vulnerable areas, stagnation is reduced considerably.

Rain Water Harvesting :

In order to relieve the water stagnation and to divert the water getting wasted and also to raise the ground water level and to prevent sea water entering to land to following Rain Water Harvesting methods have been adopted in Chennai Corporation and found successful.

• Percolation Pit / Bore method
• Percolation Well method
• Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting.

Chennai Corporation started installing Rain Water Harvesting structures from the year 2001-2002 in all the corporation owned buildings like schools, hospitals, office buildings, community centers, Electrical substations, bridges, flyovers, park and play grounds etc., Chennai Corporation has installed 1344, Rain Water Harvesting structures in Corporation owned buildings.

During rainy season, Corporation of Chennai identified heavy water stagnating areas. 242 Nos. of Rain Water Harvesting Structures were provided in these public low lying areas and 945 Nos. of Rain Water Harvesting structures were provided in road margins where water stagnation occurs, 1698 Nos. of Rain Water Harvesting structures were provided in water stagnating streets 29 Rain Water Harvesting structure were provided in flyover and bridges. In co-ordination with HR&CE Department, Corporation of Chennai has completed Rain Water Harvesting structures in 16 Temple Tanks and the balance Temple Tank are being takenup by HR&CE Department.

Building plans are sanctioned in Town Planning section only if provision are made for Rain Water Harvesting in the plans. Assessment is made by Revenue Department only if Rain Water Harvesting structure is provided.

Rain Water Harvesting Done By Corporation Of Chennai:

Chennai City which has 2815 k.m., of BRR's and Interior Roads requires Storm Water Drains in 70% of the total length of roads. Generally Storm Water Drains are constructed in roads which are 40 feet wide and above. New Drains are constructed connecting existing network. Apart from this, improvement works are carried out in the existing Storm Water Drains for its effective functioning by Zonal offices I to X.

Need for Storm Water Drainage System :

The flat terrain of Chennai City necessitates effective Storm Water Drainage system to prevent water stagnation in roads.

Statutory Provision :

Section 176 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919 entails the Corporation of Chennai to provide and maintain a sufficient system of public drains throughout the city.

Storm Water Drain Department :

In accordance with the statutory rule, the Storm Water Drain Department of Corporation of Chennai constructs and maintains a network of Storm Water Drains and Canals.

Storm Water Drain Network :

The Storm Water Drain network for a length of 855 Km., has been developed and maintained by the Corporation of Chennai.

Canals maintained by Corporation of Chennai :

The rain water runoff gets drained into Storm Water Drains and inturn drained into the 16 Canals maintained by Chennai Corporation. They are as follows :

Waterways maintained by the Public Works Department :
The water from the canals flow into the 5 waterways maintained by the Public Works Department of Tamil Nadu. These waterways are as follows:

Construction of Storm Water Drain :

During rains, water stagnation points are identified. Storm Water Drain plans are made to relieve the water stagnations. Usually, Storm Water Drains are constructed to a size of 0.61m width and 0.76m height. The thickness of the drain walls are 0.34m thick. The drain is covered by a continuous concrete slab of 0.115m thick. Inspection chambers with fibre reinforced concrete doors are provided at 5m. intervals for doing maintenance works. Stoneware pipes of 0.15m dia for letting the water from the road to the drain are provided below the doors of the chambers. When the drains are constructed across road junctions the wall thickness and slab thickness are increased.

Desilting of Storm Water Drains :

The desilting of the Storm Water Drains is carried out twice a year by the zones. Desilting thozhilalies of Corporation of Chennai enter the drain through the inspection chambers of the drain and remove the silt. Structural repairs are also carried out whenever necessary.

Desilting of Canals :

Desilting the canals maintained by Corporation of Chennai is done once in two years using men and machineries. The silt removed is taken away and dumped in Kodungaiyur Dumping Ground and Perungudi Dumping Ground. Some of the canals such as Jawahar Canal, Chellammal College Canal, Trustpuram Canal and Jafferkhanpet Canal have been provided with retaining wall and flooring. The retaining wall retains the earthen banks and gives an aesthetic appearance to the canal. The flooring facilitates men and machineries to carry out desilting works easily. Some of the canals such as Kodungaiyur Canal, Captain Cotton Canal, Ekangipuram Canal, T.V.S. Canal, Nandanam Canal, Mambalam Canal, Rajbhavan Canal and Reddikuppam Canal have been provided with retaining wall.

Canal Banks improved as Park

Canal banks such as stretches along College Road, Ethiraj Salai and Swami Sivanandha Salai of Cooum River and along Flag Staff Road of Buckingham Canal are being improved as Parks. Encroachments were removed from Nungambakkam Canal banks and the canal is being converted into a closed drain for a considerable length. The banks of the canal are being developed as parks with walkways, waterbodies etc., for the benefit of the public.

Request to the Public

The public are requested not to throw any waste material such as building debris, garbage, animal and vegetable waste, paper, plastic, bottle etc., into the Storm Water Drains and canals which affect the flow of water and result in flooding of the roads.

Rain Water Harvesting :

Rain Water Harvesting prevents wastage of the rain water runoff into the sea and also raises the ground water level, apart from improving the quality. Rain Water Harvesting has been done by providing percolation pits, percolation wells and by roof top harvesting method. All the house-owners were insisted to provide Rain Water Harvesting structures in their houses. Building Plans are sanctioned only if provision is made for Rain Water Harvesting in the plans. Building assessments for Tax computations are done only if Rain Water Harvesting structures are provided in the building.
Rain Water Harvesting has been done in all the Corporation of Chennai owned buildings like schools, hospitals, office buildings, community centres, parks and playfields etc.,

Rain Water Harvesting done by Corporation of Chennai