Ahead of Cyclone Ditwah, GCC begins real-time flood monitoring on 40 roads

Ahead of Cyclone Ditwah, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has begun real-time monitoring of flood levels through flood meters installed on 40 roads in vulnerable neighbourhoods of the city.

Work on the 40 roads has been completed and the project would soon be expanded to all flood-prone areas of the city.

The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) of the Corporation will start receiving real-time information about floods once the water level on the city roads reaches a height of two inches, an official said.

The GCC will inform residents of the rise in water levels and flood risk based on the information collected from the 40 locations. Based on the assessment, boats will also be deployed to assist residents in flooded areas.

Cases of inundation

During the previous floods, residents in areas such as Sai Nagar near Perungudi dump yard complained about flooding for four days, with the water level reaching more than four feet owing to its proximity to the Pallikaranai marshland.

Following complaints from residents in flood-prone areas, the GCC has installed flood meters in Sai Nagar (near the dump yard), Pandiyan Nagar in Sholinganallur zone, and on Kumaraswamy Nagar Main Road.

Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents’ Welfare Associations president A. Francis said the flood response this year was expected to improve after the installation of equipment to measure floods in real time. “The equipment has been placed in Sai Nagar as it is at a level lower than Anand Nagar. We have requested GCC officials to take us to safer locations ahead of floods. We don’t need crowded relief centres. We need emergency assistance to reach safer locations during a flood event,” he said.

In Teynampet zone, the GCC has installed flood meters on roads such as P.S. Sivasamy Salai, Avvai Shanmugham Salai, Musiri Subramaniyam Salai, and Porur Junction.

The civic body has also installed flood meters in Vetri Vinayaga Nagar and Kargil Nagar in Tiruvottiyur zone; Edayanchavadi and Old Napalayam New Colony in Manali zone; CMDA Truck Terminal and Elizabeth Nagar in Madhavaram zone; Muthamizh Nagar, AE Koil Street and MKB Nagar in Tondiarpet zone; Bojaraja Nagar and Chinna Thambi Street in Royapuram zone; Thanikachalam Nagar, 70 Feet Road, Market Street and Angalamman Koil Street in Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar zone; Kumaran Colony in Kodambakkam zone; Padasalai Street, Thangal Karai and Tiruvalluvar Salai in Valasaravakkam zone; Sindhu Salai, CRR Puram, and Saraswathi Nagar Fifth Street in Alandur Zone; City Link Road, EB Colony, Tansi Nagar in Adyar zone; and Sai Baba Nagar, Maruti Nagar and Krishnaveni nagar in Perungudi zone.

Senior officials inspected the war room of the Corporation on Friday for strengthening flood preparedness and improving emergency response during the rain.

Meetings held

Following orders from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and inspection by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, senior officials – including Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran – held meetings with officials of various departments at the war room on Friday.

They directed officials to instruct personnel at call centres to promptly respond to calls on helpline 1913 from residents in flood-affected areas.

The GCC has launched automatic boom barriers at 17 subways to close traffic on the stretches. It has also developed an app for utilising an early warning system of floods in the city.