GCC Sets Sept-End Deadline to Finish Stormwater Drains Across Chennai

The Greater Chennai Corporation has set a September-end deadline to complete stormwater drain projects across the city before the onset of the northeast monsoon, with key infrastructure work underway in neighbourhoods including Anna Nagar, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Tondiarpet, and Tiruvottiyur. As part of this citywide push, municipal authorities have dug up at least 398 roads to finish the infrastructure before rains begin.

The intensive civic work comes as the civic body focuses on locations that suffered during the previous year's rains. Overall, the Greater Chennai Corporation has identified 230 locations across the city as severely vulnerable to flooding. These flood-prone sites lie in peripheral zones, including Perungudi and Sholinganallur, as well as central and northern neighbourhoods such as Anna Nagar, Tondiarpet, and Tiruvottiyur, which were among the areas hit hardest during last year's monsoon.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G S Sameeran stated that the civic body began construction work on about 19 kilometres of drains during the first week of July. Municipal officials expect to complete this work by September.

In addition to this stretch, Commissioner Sameeran noted that the third phase of stormwater drain construction in south Chennai will also be finished before the September deadline. This specific phase of construction covers approximately 38 kilometres of drains.

In total, the civic body is executing 691 stormwater drain packages at an overall cost of ₹5,072.67 crore. The massive infrastructure project covers a combined distance of 1,126.05 kilometres of stormwater drains across Chennai.

Despite the scope of the project, the ongoing construction has brought widespread disruption to local residents and businesses. Street excavations directly outside residences and shops have restricted pedestrian access across multiple neighbourhoods.

Public transport and daily commuting have also been impacted by the construction activities. Some bus stops have been removed or shifted, while narrowed carriageways have led to increased traffic congestion along affected roads.

Commenting on the recurring inconvenience caused by the annual civic works, Purasawalkam resident Abdul Basha said that every year brought the same story for citizens navigating the disrupted streets.