Greater Chennai Corporation will be laying stormwater drains adding up to 32km in 73 streets in the city that witnessed water-logging during the recent northeast monsoon. This includes 23 areas that GCC deemed needed fresh drains after repeated complaints from residents and a field survey.

Work will begin immediately in all locations so it can be wrapped up before monsoon next year, an official release from GCC said.

Measurements and other ground-level data collection has started and a review meeting was conducted at the Ripon building by GCC commissioner G Prakash with regional deputy commissioners P Akash, P N Sridhar, Alby John, deputy commissioner (works) Meghnath Reddy, chief engineer (general) L Nandakumar and other officials.

Baba Nagar in Villivakkam and RK Shanmugham Road in KK Nagar are among the areas identified. Prakash had earlier indicated that expert opinion from IIT Madras would be taken for the project.

The civic body also has other SWD projects coming up. A project funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) for drains in the Kosasthalaiyar river basin, which will cover areas in north and west Chennai, will soon get going.

Construction of SWD in the Kovalam basin in south Chennai using German technology and funds from German development bank kfw is underway.

To prevent flooding in areas such as Semmanchery and Thalambur, GCC with the public works department will undertake a cut-and-cover drain project that will link the areas to Buckingham Canal. Three of the five drains will be constructed by GCC from Pallikaranai and Radial Road to the canal, from Perumbakkam to the canal and Nookampalayam to the canal. PWD will be constructing constructing two similar drains from Thalambur and Navalur to the canal.