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Watershed Details of

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Background

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• In India, Tamil Nadu is one of the fastest urbanizing states and currently

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has the highest proportion of population living in Urban areas.

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• However, the states water resources are very limited.

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• The per capita water availability (800 m3) is only one third of the
national average (2300 m3). Due to its geographic location, Tamil Nadu
receives only limited rainfall from the South-West Monsoon as compared

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to the rest of the country.

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• The average annual rainfall of Tamil Nadu is only about 960mm when
compared to national average of 1250mm. Due to the vagaries in monsoon

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rainfall, ground water is overexploited for irrigation, domestic consumption
and industrial uses in many regions across the state.

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CHENNAI METROPOLITAN AREA

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• Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) covers 1189 Sq. Km. present population

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about 75 Lakhs projected to 98 Lakhs in 2011

5000 to 1 :10,000

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• Chennai City covers 176 Sq. Km. having Terrain slope varying from 1 :

• The City is drained by 2 rivers besides a number of major & minor drains

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through Buckingham Canal into Sea via Ennore Creek, Cooum mouth,
Adyar mouth and Kovalam Creek.

1985,1996 & 2005

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• Major Flood Events in Chennai City experienced during 1943, 1976,

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 FUNCTIONS OF RIVERS AND DRAINAGES DURING LAST HALF
CENTURY

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• Strom water & Flood conveyance during monsoon period
• Conveying untreated sullage, sewage and industrial effluents
• Dumping place for all sorts of solid wastes

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• Place for Slums by encroachments

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ABOUT CHENNAI WATERWAYS

•Three Waterways – Kosathaliyar, Cooum and Adyar and manmade

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Buckingham canal
•The Cooum River almost divides the city into half

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•The Adyar River divides the southern half of the city into two.
•The historic Buckingham canal runs nearly parallel to the coast almost

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through the entire length of the city.
•There are a number of other smaller canals and nullahs (Otteri Nullah,

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Captain Cotton Canal and Mambalam Drain ) draining into these main
waterways.
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Components of Chennai Waterways

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BUCKINGHAM CANAL AND ITS INFLUENCE ON DRAINAGE

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•Formed as Drought Relief work in 1806

•Intercepts all the East flowing drains

•Length in CMA : 44 km

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•Connects Araniyar, Kosasthalaiyar, Cooum and Adayar River

•Major Drains falling in Buckingham Canal : Kodungaiyur Drain, Captain

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Adayar

•Acts as a barrier for arresting sea water intrusion.

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•Disrupted by Solid waste and anaerobic growth in sewage

•25 m wide waterway restricted in many places to 10m due to MRTS stations

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and pile caps of MRTS pillars. Century old arch bridges across the canal
prevent free flood flow (Elephant gate, Ice house, Kutcheri Road, Adams
Road).
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FACTORS FOR POLLUTION LOAD IN THE WATERWAYS:

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•All these waterways are polluted due to outfalls from industries, commercial

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institutions, sewage treatment plants, pumping stations, sewers, storm water

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drains and slums.
•This wastewater discharge contributes contaminated or polluted water to the
waterways and leads to unsanitary condition.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH WATERWAYS

Engineering

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•Acute hindrance due to restricted vent ways in old arch bridges, causing

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flood hazards.
•High Deposits of silt causing restriction of tidal flows into rivers

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•Absence of minimum Ecological flows in the rivers
•Reduction in waterways due to encroachments and Solid Waste dumping,

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causing flood hazards
•Lack of required width to discharge flood due to presence of patta lands

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within the flood plains of the river ( Eg: Stretech of the Adyar River between
Nandampakkam and Manapakkam & of Cooum River between Maduravoyal
and Thiruverkadu
Environmental

•Inflow of untreated sewage.

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•Disposal of solid waste and construction debris.
•Slums in the flood plains directly feed sewage and solid waste.

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•Presence of disease causing Bacteria & Virus – high, besides mosquito
breeding, bad odour etc.

Social

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•Eviction of Encroachers along Waterways
•Rehabilitation and resettlement of the both objectionable and un- object able

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slum dwellers

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1. Improvement to Kodungaiyur drain @ Ch 3050 m to 3450 m ( Below
GNT road )

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2. Construction of divertion channel (Box culvert) for Kolathur tank surplus
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Madhavaram tank left flank surplus course

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3. Improvements to the Ambattur tank surplus drainage channel
4. Straight cut diversion channel for directing upstream flood water from

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Otteri Nullah
to Cooum river

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5. Improvements for Otteri Nullah like widening and construction of flood
protection
wall, concrete bed lining with cunnet section fencing, providing access

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Ramps for

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maintenance widening the water way of bridges providing intlet arrangement
etc.,

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