Chennai Mayor accuses govt. of delaying monsoon preparedness works

Chennai Mayor R. Priya accused the State government of starting monsoon preparedness works too late this season. The government should have held meetings for the northeast monsoon in July or August as it had done in the previous years, as by October, heavy rain would usually begin, Ms. Priya told The Hindu.

She also raised concerns over dumping of silt removed from stormwater drains on roads. Inadequate funds for civic maintenance was another red flag she raised on Saturday.

“Monsoon preparedness meetings are usually held in July or August, but the major review meeting this year was held only in October. Desilting work, which should normally start in June, was also delayed and began only towards the end of August. This has affected the time available to complete the work before the monsoon. We need to be prepared for heavy rainfall, so planning and inter-departmental coordination must begin well in advance,” she added.

Ms. Priya said, “The desilting has not been completed properly in several places, and the silt removed from drains has piled up on roads. When it rains, the silt will wash back into the drains or spread across roads and nearby areas, defeating the purpose of desilting.”

“Road repairs are another concern. Even temporary patchwork requires materials such as bitumen, and the availability of funds affects how quickly the work can be carried out,” she said.

‘Beyond deadline’

Recently, in areas such as Choolaimedu and Pulianthope, residents have complained about excavations continuing beyond the September 30 deadline and lack of adequate monitoring.

Regarding this, Ms. Priya said, “The September 30 deadline is intended to ensure that road-cutting work is completed before the rain. While extensions may sometimes be granted through special approval, works should not routinely spill over into the monsoon. Advance planning, timely funding and prompt implementation are needed to ensure that drainage systems function effectively and that roads remain usable during heavy rain.”

She said funding was a major concern.

“Officials are also concerned about undertaking work without clear funding allocations, as they could face audit objections later. Even routine work, such as patching up roads, requires materials and funds.”