The corporation provided the equipment only for its senior engineers
Chennai corporation
Chennai: Things would have been much better after the 40 cm rain which devastated South Chennai had the civic and PWD authorities adhered to the State’s policy, say highly placed sources. Poor implementation resulted in the floods becoming disastrous.
Delay in reaching out to army by Kancheepuram district administration. For instance, the state government reached out to the army station at Tambaram immediately after the heavy downpour in November, but in December the army and additional central forces were brought in only after the discharge from the Chembarambakkam reservoir on December 2.
PWD fails to gauge sea behaviour; lacks strategy to drain flood waters: The PWD engineers without a proper hydrologist also failed to gauge the behaviour of high tides on December 1, 2 and 3 along Marina.
The surplus released from reservoirs stagnated at Kotturpuram and Saidapet as rough sea prevented the estuary to drain floods. During 2009, the corporation and PWD widened the estuary so that flood waters could easily drain into the sea in a parallel manner as the current perpendicular approach of river will drain water only during low tides.
Shortage of walkie-talkies: Chennai corporation in early 2004 proposed to provide walkie talkies for all its field staff, but the move after 10 years was revived with corporation council allocating Rs 1.70 crore for the purpose.
The corporation provided the equipment only for its senior engineers. When the cellular network failed, not many field engineers were having the communication equipment. They did not get official directions.
Metro water failed to mobilise generators for its pumping stations: While Chennai corporation positioned generators and high end motor pumps to drain storm water from subways, metro water failed to take any precautions.
Most of its pumping stations were marooned and were unable to pump out sewage. With metro water stations facing power outage, the situation is yet to improve even after two sunny days.
Metro Rail tunnels add to woes: The delayed construction of Chennai metro rail saw floods in its incomplete tunnel flooding Teynampet and Nandanam that are usually not prone to water logging.
Had the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor been completed, it would have facilitated a link between Chennai Central and western parts of the city thereby speeding up relief measures.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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