The Rs. 815 crore stormwater drains (SWDs) project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), approved in April 2009, aims at constructing about 535 km of SWDs in about 1200 stretches in Chennai. As of March 31, 2012, work at 250 sites had been completed and was in progress at about 225 sites. With 'no work' at 725 sites, the deadline has been extended to June 2013. However, this is one 'development project' that seems to keep extending timelessly while generating only much chaos, besides failing to prevent water-logging on the streets in many supposedly 'completed' areas, according to residents in these streets..

Technically, 35 per cent of the project share is to come from the Centre, 15 per cent from the State Government, and the remaining 50 per cent from the City Corporation. But, according to the records, the civic body has provided only about Rs.14 crore as against its mandatory share of around Rs. 290 crore for the work till March 31, 2012. According to a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, the slow progress is attributed to "only 5 per cent of the mandated budget for the SWD project being allocated by the Chennai Corporation for SWD work." The report pointed out that the civic body had failed to coordinate with other departments to ensure hindrance-free work, and this has resulted in inundation during the monsoon and cost overruns.

There are differing views on the role of SWDs. Are they meant for recharging groundwater levels or only to mitigate flooding and drain off into the sea? Do all areas across the city need them? Do citizens realise it is important for them to make informed choices on what strategies/plans they need in their own neighbourhoods?

SWDs in a city that receives the bulk of its rains in a one-month period should ideally remain dry for the rest of the year. But the truth is that almost the entire length of the 800-km-plus drain network and the 14 waterways in the city have sewage flowing through them throughout the year! In some instances, even Metrowater contributes to the sewage flow. And it is not only lower income groups who illegally connect their sewage lines to waterways. Says an official, "Every SWD has to be connected to one of the city's 16 canals. Water from the canals then flows into the Adyar and Cooum Rivers or Buckingham Canal en route to the sea." But, sewage overflow into the SWDs and the siting of utility cables alongside them create the problems.

Consider a couple of examples. Besant Nagar I Avenue is completely sandy at all levels and does not need SWDs. Some water in front of the local MLA's house on that street was, however, cited as a possible reason for SWD construction. Though experts pointed out that the solution was to leave open space between road and pavement, this was not done and when they completed the work, the water stagnated even after the rains! On request from residents, percolation wells for the remaining stretches were put in.

Say residents of Shastri Nagar, "Clay soil beneath our road gets sandy after 6 to 7 ft. With SWDs positioned almost in the middle of the road to skirt a temple on the side, huge trees were removed and the road made unmotorable. After the next rains, when houses adjacent were inundated, the authorities said, 'We will continue as planned till the middle of the road stretch and then only stop!' So we now have SWDs that cannot drain into anywhere!"

Existing drains are not being desilted nor are they being made desilting-friendly. They either need to be broken open at the top or have premoulded roofs that might require a crane to lift them! Will desilting happen at all? Many contractors have built new drains, covering the existing ones without removing the debris and obstructions. "One contractor just applied a coat of plaster to the old drain instead of building a new one," says a resident of Secretariat Colony. While contractors say they are struggling to complete the works in the face of insufficient funds and consequent delay leading to escalating construction costs, pedestrians and motorists complain that SWDs are responsible for injuries causing accidents due to poor visibility.

Dr. Sekar Raghavan, Director, Rain Centre, who has been in the forefront of many campaigns to harvest urban run-off for recharging precious groundwater levels, says, "Currently we are just moving from one problem to another through construction of SWDs. Flooding in Chennai has increased over the last three decades primarily because old bungalows have been converted into flat complexes, whose surroundings are wholly paved and slope onto the road. Corporation paving in the name of beautification does not allow an inch of soil for water to percolate. Where no SWD has been built, citizens can insist on ways to harvest the run-off, such as building percolation wells with perforated lids so water will drain into them. Where already built, they should find ways to intercept run-off through drains into recharge wells inside private compounds close by. Of course, the recharge wells constructed for harvesting the urban run-off will have to be desilted at least three times a year – before the onset of the Southwest and Northeast monsoons and once during summer."

Ironically, the JNNURM's objectives include "paying special attention to infrastructural services; ensure that urbanisation is effective in a discrete manner through the process of planned development; and ensure reduction of congestion". After the Mission period (seven years from 2005), it is envisaged that "all urban residents will be able to obtain access to a basic level of urban services and local services and governance conducted in a manner that is transparent and accountable to citizens." In the case of SWDs for 'urban renewal', the seven years have passed and citizens are still waiting for simpler and more effective solutions.