Madipakkam residents have asked the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Water Resources Department (WRD) to urgently assess a drainage confluence linked to recurring waterlogging in six residential localities ahead of the Northeast monsoon. They have proposed a flow-guiding wall at the point where the Narayanapuram Lake surplus-water channel meets the Balaji Nagar storm-water drain.
The affected areas include Balaji Nagar, Kubera Nagar Extension, LIC Nagar, Alayammal Nagar, Ram Nagar and Mahalakshmi Nagar, which residents said have repeatedly faced waterlogging during heavy rainfall. The Madipakkam South-East Youth Welfare Association has called for a joint field inspection by the GCC and WRD to identify possible bottlenecks in the local drainage network.
According to the residents’ representation, the Narayanapuram Lake surplus-water channel is about 30 feet wide, while the Balaji Nagar storm-water drain is approximately eight feet wide. Both channels converge before discharging into a common receiving channel. The association said the point where the flows meet could be critical to the performance of the drainage system during intense rainfall.
S.B. Sekar, president of the association, said surplus water released from Narayanapuram Lake and runoff carried by the Balaji Nagar drain converge at the same location during heavy rain. The association has sought an engineering assessment to determine whether the flow conditions at the confluence are contributing to water accumulation in nearby residential areas.
P. Rajendran, a senior committee member of the association, said the proposed flow-training wall would be intended to guide the lake’s surplus water, improve the discharge of storm-water from Balaji Nagar and regulate the flow at the confluence. Residents have left the wall’s location, alignment, dimensions and design to be decided by engineers after a hydraulic and structural assessment.
The representation also seeks desilting and cleaning of the receiving channel and the Balaji Nagar drain, removal of garbage and weeds, and inspection of culverts and other drainage structures. Residents have asked authorities to assess the channels’ carrying capacity during peak rainfall, including their levels, gradient, flow direction and potential bottlenecks, and to continue monitoring the system after heavy rain.
Sethuraman, a resident of Kubera Nagar Extension, said the association had requested immediate cleaning and maintenance of the drainage network, along with any additional engineering interventions recommended by the authorities. He said the measures were intended to reduce flooding risks and protect residential properties and roads. The residents said the authorities had yet to respond to their request.
The association has urged the GCC and WRD to complete the joint inspection and take up any technically feasible work on priority before the Northeast monsoon.
