₹41-crore Stormwater Drain Project to Prevent Floods in Chennai’s West

The Greater Chennai Corporation is set to begin work on a new stormwater drain system connecting Otteri Nullah Zero Point to the Cooum river along Jawaharlal Nehru Salai. This project, announced during the Tamil Nadu Budget session, aims to reduce flooding in areas like Villivakkam, Ambattur, Korattur, Padi, and Anna Nagar West, especially during the monsoon season.

The drain construction is estimated to cost ₹41 crore and will be funded by a German bank. Other projects include the upgrade of a 31-MLD sewage treatment plant in Tiruvottiyur at a cost of ₹42 crore using advanced Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology, along with 10 years of maintenance.

Under CMIUDM funds, work on developing playgrounds in Greater Chennai will start at ₹10 crore. The state has also allocated ₹102 crore for full mechanisation of underground drainage systems across municipal areas and ₹93 crore for biomining legacy waste in Avadi, Tambaram, Coimbatore Corporation, and 25 municipalities.

Sewage infrastructure projects are planned in Pallavaram, Chromepet, and Thiruneermalai at a combined cost of ₹254 crore. This includes ₹104 crore for rehabilitating the underground drainage system in Pallavaram and Chromepet, and ₹150 crore for a new sewerage scheme in Thiruneermalai.

The state will also explore converting biogas from sewage sludge into Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) under the SATAT initiative to promote its use as a transportation fuel. Land reclamation through bio-mining at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur is expected to begin soon, with drone surveys revealing an additional 28.70 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at these sites.

Clearing this waste using bio-mining technology will cost ₹276 crore, helping reclaim land and improve public health and quality of life.