The Asian Development Bank and the Central government signed a $251-million loan for climate-resilient, integrated urban flood protection and management in the Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin to strengthen the resilience of Chennai city to floods.

Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs Additional Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra and ADB Country Director for India Takeo Konishi signed the agreement for the Integrated Urban Flood Management for the Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar River Basin Project on Tuesday, an ADB press release said.

Chennai’s rapid urbanisation has encroached on the city’s natural landscape, reducing water retention capacity, which makes the city vulnerable to widespread flooding. The project will involve construction of 588 km of new stormwater drains, rehabilitate or replace 175 km of stormwater drains, improve 11 km stretches in the Ambattur, Ariyallur, Kadappakkam, and Korattur channels to enhance water-carrying capacity, and upgrade a stormwater pumping station and construct a new one. It will also construct 23,000 catchpits in roadside drains to recharge the groundwater aquifer and rehabilitate four disaster relief camps.

‘Reduce vulnerability’

“The project interventions will help reduce the vulnerability of Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin residents to frequent floods, which have in recent years destroyed property and livelihoods,” said Mishra after signing the loan agreement.

“The project will build flood protection infrastructure as well as strengthen the capacity of the Greater Chennai Corporation and communities for better preparedness planning to transform Chennai into a more livable city. The innovative designs and interventions for climate-resilient flood management promoted by the project, along with integrated urban planning and enhanced municipal resource mobilisation, can be widely replicated for other Indian cities that are vulnerable to climate and disaster risks,” said Konishi.

Related Topics