Chennai Floods

1943

The 1943 Chennai floods occurred during the annual northeast monsoon in Madras (now Chennai) in India.

 

2005

The 2005 Chennai floods were some of the worst floods to have hit the city of Chennai, India. The floods occurred during the North-East monsoon season (November-December 2005) as a result of heavy rain. Over 50 people were killed in two incidents of stampede for food and money in relief camps.

The 2005 Chennai floods were some of the worst floods to have hit the city of Chennai, India. The floods occurred during the North-East monsoon season (November-December 2005) as a result of heavy rain. Over 50 people were killed in two incidents of stampede for food and money in relief camps

2015

The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.More than 500 people were killed and over 1.8 million (18 lakh) people were displaced.With estimates of damages and losses ranging from nearly ₹200 billion (US$3 billion) to over ₹1 trillion (US$14 billion),the floods were the costliest to have occurred in 2015, and were among the costliest natural disasters of the year.2015 South India floods

Indian Air Force Relief and Rescue Op during Tamil Nadu Flood December 2015.jpg

Submerged bridges in Chennai

Though the unusually heavy rainfall in southern India during the winter of 2015 has been attributed to the 2014–16 El Nio event, in July 2018 the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) categorised the flooding across Tamil Nadu as a "man-made disaster," and held the Government of Tamil Nadu responsible for the scale of the catastrophe, which the latter had termed a natural disaster.

2019

The 2019 Chennai water crisis was a water crisis occurring in India, most notably in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. On 19 June 2019, Chennai city officials declared that "Day Zero", or the day when almost no water is left, had been reached, as all the four main reservoirs supplying water to the city had run dry.Two years of deficient monsoon rainfall, particularly in late 2017 and throughout much of 2018 had led to this crisis.Because tap water has stopped running, some families have been relying on alternative water sources such as distant, unreliable public water pumps, and costly private water tankers.

Solutions

After the recent floods, most Chennaites have undergone the experience of living in an unplanned city. As the city grew, it occupied most of the water bodies. Though we cant change the plan of the city, here are some ways in which we can make the city ready for any eventuality due to incessant rain. We have made technical and non-technical solutions. We want to gather civil engineers and other like-minded people to be a part of them team and find the best solutions. This is an initiation to go further and make Chennai a flood-proof city in the future.Here are the technical solutions;

1. Improve flood water disposal system

The present drainage system is not designed for the sheer size of the population. Therefore, in case of heavy incessant rains, the drainage pipes do not have the  capacity to dispose all rain water in a short time. We suggest the disposal of flood water by separate storm water lines or existing drainage lines with automatic pumps. Most people are not aware that they are staying in low-lying areas. Our solution is to keep boards with ground elevation with respect to nearest water bodies at all important places.

2. Construct retaining walls and use sandbags

During the recent floods, most deaths happened due to the lack of time to escape from the flood water. There should be a  temporary remedy to give time to people to safeguard themselves and their belongings. Identify  a row of houses as shown in the first picture and make use of a retaining wall. The space in between can be filled with sand bags to arrest water. Construct additional temporary retaining walls just next to the reservoir gates using rapid hardening cement within hours of incessant rain.

3. Release water from reservoir after studying areas

The authorities are not aware that the actual situation arises due to release of water. Hence, the contour of the total city beyond water bodies in 3-D form needs to be studied.

Here are the non-technical solutions to the problems we faced.

How did chennai flood occurred:

Very heavy rains led to flooding across the entire stretch of coast from Chennai to Cuddalore. ... Therefore, they were stationary over Chennai throughout the day. These clouds gave continuous rainfall over Chennai that caused massive flooding.

1. Identify vendors to supply food

Drinking water, milk, and bread was sold  at Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 during the flood. The solution is for the government to identify possible vendors and provide logistics support to them. So that they can sell these essential food items at MRP.

2. Repair potholes on the road

Some potholes are so big that vehicles may tilt while negotiating the road. Allocating funds, calling tenders, and finalising the lowest bidder is time consuming. The authorities can minimise the time taken to complete these works by creating a separate fund and ensuring works are completed on a war footing. To ensure quality of work, help may be sought from local NGOs. There should also be signages warning people about manholes ahead.

 

3. Select media to communicate emergency news

There were a lot of rumors three days before the floods about the release of water. It is important to select some of the media channels to communicate vital information during the floods about rescue work, supply of food, etc.

4. Encourage use of solar power

There was no power supply as all power cable boxes were water logged and this could have caused short circuit. People were not able to communicate with others as their phones ran out of charge. The use of solar power could have prevented this problem. People must install at least 1 kW solar power panels, especially in houses situated in low lying areas. People must also use remote batteries to charge their phones.

5. Operate public transport services

There was no access to public transport for nearly a week in a few places. This made individuals venture out with their own vehicle. This is dangerous as smaller vehicles find it difficult to negotiate manholes, drains, etc.  We suggest that public transport services must be operated, even if the route is 50 per cent clear.

6. Insist on single-point coordination for volunteers

Some people got food more than once and the support of more volunteers. This can be solved by ensuring single-point coordination. There should be area-wise division of volunteers and helplines need to be popularised.

7. Create a cleaning force for garbage removal

A cleaning force must be in place. It should be ready to attend to emergencies from the nearest city.