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Summary of Flood Reasons

Chennai has three rivers, five wetlands, and six forest areas that shape its geography. The document also discusses natural and artificial factors that affect Chennai's terrain and flooding, including urbanization, loss of wetlands, and improper drainage infrastructure.

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Megha Nair
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29 views1 page

Summary of Flood Reasons

Chennai has three rivers, five wetlands, and six forest areas that shape its geography. The document also discusses natural and artificial factors that affect Chennai's terrain and flooding, including urbanization, loss of wetlands, and improper drainage infrastructure.

Uploaded by

Megha Nair
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Geography of Chennai:

Chennai has a total of three rivers, five wetlands, and six forest areas. The three rivers are Kosathalaiyar,
Cooum and Adyar. The five wetlands are Pallikaranai Marsh, Pulicat Lake, Kattupalli Island, Madhavaram &
Manali Jheels, Adyar Estuary Creek. The six forest areas are Huzur Gardens, Vandalur, Guindy National Park,
the forests in IIT Madras, Madras Christian College, and Theosophical Society.

A river basin is a piece of land that is dried by the river. Chennai has 4 such river basins - Kosasthalaiyar basin,
Kovalam basin, Adyar, and Coovum basin.

Natural:

 Flat terrain and close to sea at many levels


 Northeast monsoon – It travels from the northeast to the southwest and usually effects southern
states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, some parts of Telangana, and Karnataka during the
months of October, November, and December. Chennai receives most of its rainfall during the
northeast monsoon.

Artificial/man-made:

 Rampant urbanization – Concrete jungles (as housing needs grew, residential areas were extended to
low-lying areas) caused stagnation, Floor Space Index is completely messed up
 Floodplains of Adyar and Kuvam getting urbanized, when river banks are occupied it makes rivers
narrow
 Pallikaranai marshland has shrunk due to urbanization – wetlands act as a sponge during flood
 Missing links of storm water drains – The Greater Chennai Corporation says that although the city has
integrated stormwater drains, the areas consisting of the river basins don’t have integrated
stormwater drains.
 Improper and unscientific construction of drains
 Improper management of lakes – no timely desilting and messed up water release schedule
 Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is constructed without provision of water to cross from one side to
another. Entire water flow of the land facing side of Old Mahabalipuram Road goes through a few
narrow channels, causing floods in the area.
 Improper waste management – The drainages in Chennai are filled with sediments choking them.
Industrial wastes and all other wastes are also being sent into the same drainage which is meant to
deal only with the flood water.

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