As the northeast monsoon draws closer, desilting and blockage-removal works in water bodies and waterways across Tamil Nadu’s coastal belt are yet to gather pace, officials said. The delay has raised questions about preparedness in districts that typically face flooding during the season.
Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Cuddalore often witness inundation during the northeast monsoon. To reduce flood risk, the Water Resources Department (WRD) usually undertakes clearance of obstructions in waterways, with annual allocations going up to Rs 20 crore.
This year, the WRD has initiated desilting in select locations—including the Adyar and Cooum river systems and the Velachery and Narayanapuram lakes—through private participation. Similar work is planned for other waterways, but the broader rollout has not started at full scale.
Officials noted that higher rainfall is being anticipated this season due to the impact of El Niño, increasing the need to store more water in reservoirs, rivers and lakes. The department has announced plans to desilt 36,000 lakes with private participation, but the list of lakes and the participating NGOs and private entities has not yet been finalised, they said.
With the monsoon expected to begin in October and limited time left, officials warned that approvals and guidance from senior levels need to be issued quickly. They also suggested that a dedicated review meeting be held and that NGOs be directly invited to take up desilting work to avoid last-minute delays.
