According to a recent report published in The New Indian Express, the Greater Chennai Corporation has earmarked funds to the tune of Rs. 94.34 crores to renovate neglected canals across the city. The project will cover Verangal Odai canal in Velachery, the SIDCO Industrial Estate canal, Kodungaiyur canal, Vyasarpadi canal, Mamabalam canal, Nandanam canal, Jafferkhanpet canal and Reddikuppam canal to name a few mentioned in the report. The work undertaken will include measures that mitigate flooding and prevent dumping – for instance, plans for the Verangal Odai canalinclude raising the side walls and installing chain link fencing; for the canals in John Kennedy Street and JK road, the reconstruction of the box culvert bridge; and for the SIDCO Industrial Estate canal, the reconstruction of new culverts, raised side walls and fencing.
The project is a welcome one, and long awaited by residential communities affected by the derelict canals in their neighbourhoods. Many (for example, the Nandanam Canal) are polluted and choked with debris while others (for example, the canals at Pulianthope and Puliyur) suffer from encroachment. This hinders the free flow of water, causing the canals to overflow during the rainy season and inundate the surrounding areas. A large-scale canal restoration project can hence go a long way in bolstering the city’s flood preparedness, provided it is planned and executed well. Past failures in this regard carry crucial lessons. The Mambalam canal stands as an excellent example. In 2021, the GCC had plans to create greenery and public recreational facilities along the canal under the Mambalam canal restoration project. The initiative had been proposed as a two-phase scheme, costing Rs. 106 crores that was to be provided from the Smart City reserves. However, the vision never materialised – the project lasted for a few months before being quite literally washed away by the rains later that year. Conversely, debris from the halted works choked the Mambalam canal, the polluted waters of which – along with overflow from clogged stormwater drains – flooded the neighbourhood and caused much damage to property. The restoration plan was scaled down after the disaster, and the objective was changed from beautification to flood mitigation. There hasn’t been much sign of progress until news of the current initiative, which has now reportedly budgeted Rs. 6.5 crores to renovate the Mambalam canal. The case of Siruseri canal is also an example of a failure to launch. The canal’s state of disrepair was a direct reason for flooding in areas such as Siruseri and Kazhipattur every rainy reason; thus, there were plans to restore the canal from Siruseri Nagar to South Buckingham Canal at an outlay of Rs. 13.76 crores. Tenders were reportedly floated in September 2023, but no work began even a year later from the date reportedly for the want of funds. It is plain that these projects suffered wasteful expenditure and stagnation from poor study and foresight.
Another challenge is most certainly our collective lack of civic sense. For instance, dumping garbage in canals and waterways is illegal but the fact does not appear to be much of a deterrent. The administration has admittedly taken multiple initiatives to solve this widespread issue – for instance in September last year, ahead of the monsoon, the GCC collaborated with a start-up to introduce drone-based real-time monitoring of illegal dumping in 30 km of canals, and collected Rs. 2.5 lakhs in fines from the exercise. The current initiative too plans to install chain-link fencing to combat the problem. However, it is crucial to create awareness and understanding about the implications of dumping, which either appears to be seen as a harmless lapse, or one that has no impact on the perpetrator’s quality of life. Buckingham Canal for instance is woefully clogged with waste ranging from garbage to construction debris.
Public consultations can help address the challenges of poor planning as well as poor public awareness. A two-way dialogue will not only help the administration collect data about root problems identified by residents, but will also afford them the opportunity to educate the larger public about the importance of respecting environmental norms. Studies such as the Thiruppugazh Committee report – said to be a well-detailed analysis – should be made public so that the people can learn about the issue. After all, restoring our canals calls for more than a one-time project – to be successful and sustainable, the exercise calls for regular maintenance and care from the civic body as well as the people.