Plans afoot to build a surplus course for Paruthipattu lake near Chennai – The Hindu

Whenever the Paruthipattu lake overflows, a portion of the Avadi Poonamallee High Road remains inundated for several days. However, residents in the flood-prone area are likely to get a respite from this problem this year.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) is set to start work in a fortnight to build a channel to bridge missing gaps in Paruthipattu lake’s surplus course. The department is finalising tender for the ₹21.9-crore project to construct a channel for nearly 360 metre to divert the floodwater to the existing channel that drains into Ayapakkam lake.

Residents are put to severe hardship every year as there is no defined surplus course for the lake and there are missing links to the present floodwater channel. Spread over 22 hectares, the lake was developed as an eco-tourist spot with boat rides and recreational park on the lines of Chetpet lake.

However, floodwater from the lake inundates the arterial road and disrupts vehicular traffic every monsoon. Officials said the Highways department has started building a channel for length of 400 metres along the Avadi Poonamallee High Road.

“We will begin to construct a channel linking the upcoming channel from the main road. This cut and cover canal will carry about 300-400 cusecs for a distance of about 360 metres to the two-km long channel near Vasantham Nagar,” said an official.

Residents said the Avadi Poonamallee High Road was an important link from western suburbs to other places such as Koyambedu or Chennai Bypass.

T. Sadagopan, president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, Pattabiram, said the Water Resources Department must take steps to deepen the other waterbodies in places like Thiruninravur, Thirumazhisai and Thandurai to conserve floodwater runoff before it reaches Paruthipattu. This would help groundwater recharge in the belt.

The department plans to construct flood protection wall in vulnerable points of the existing channel that travels through areas, including Vivekananda Nagar and Vasantham Nagar. The project is set to be completed in three months.