Industrial unit holders at Ambattur industrial estate, which is returning to normalcy after the floods in December last, want a better stormwater drain network to address flooding as northeast monsoon is just a few months away.
While the Chennai Corporation has started preliminary work to provide stormwater drains in the south phase of the estate, members of the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) were sceptical about the impact of the work during the ensuing rainy season in the city.
Work is on to construct and deepen the stormwater drains in places such as First Main Road. “We are concerned about recurring floods during this northeast monsoon too. Last year, the surplus water from the Ambattur lake inundated the estate. Nearly 1,500 industrial units remained closed for over a fortnight as they were under several feet of water,” recalled a member.
The association wants the Pattaravakkam channel to be deepened and desilted to provide relief to flooding in the estate and neighbouring residential localities such as Mangalapuram and Pattaravakkam. “Besides providing stormwater drain, we want another channel to divert water from the waterbody in Ambattur to Korattur lake,” said V. Raju, president of AIEMA.
The estate, however, is making a progress in other aspects of infrastructure development. Post floods, the industrial estate has better roads.
Work will soon begin on the long-pending effluent treatment plant in the north phase of the estate. Obtaining environmental clearance from various departments had delayed the project. Work in the one-acre space, which was allotted by Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation, is set to begin in a couple of months, said Mr. Raju.
Sewage treatment
The industrial estate already has two sewage treatment plants functioning in the north and south phases with a total capacity to treat five million litres of sewage a day.
This is set to put an end to the effluent pollution complaints in the neighbouring areas, including Mogappair.
