A new Japanese import is on the cards. The Chennai Corporation is planning to bring in advanced technology from Japan to improve the stormwater drain (SWD) network in the city. So far, management of stormwater drain network has only been partly effective.

Corporation engineers will be sent to Japan for a training programme, which would cover techniques to construct and manage SWDs effectively. The Chennai Corporation Council passed a resolution on Monday permitting engineers K. Chinnasamy and G. Tamilselvan to attend this programme.

Expenses for the training — which is from September 23 to December 5 — will be met by Japan International Co-operation Agency. The knowledge the engineers will acquire from this exercise is expected to be useful in the implementation of new projects in watersheds of waterways such Adyar and Cooum.

With the help of World Bank funding, work on SWDs will begin next month in zones such as Ambattur and Valasaravakkam. Designed with advanced technology, new SWDs are likely to reduce the displacement of people living along the banks of waterways and canals.

The work on construction of drains will prevent flooding of neighbourhoods in many of the added zones.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Aloysius Xavier Lopez / Chennai – September 06th, 2015