Tue Dec 03 19:40:57 UTC 2024: ## Ennore Creek Dredging Project Underway to Alleviate Flooding
**Chennai, December 4, 2024** – A ₹28-crore project to dredge the Kosasthalaiyar backwaters near Ennore Creek is underway, aiming to improve flood management and restore the ecosystem. Funded by the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS), the initiative focuses on removing approximately 4.5 lakh cubic meters of fly ash deposits and invasive charru mussels that have hampered the waterway’s capacity.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) is currently using a dredger with a capacity of 250-300 cubic meters per hour, with a second, more powerful dredger (450 cubic meters per hour) to be deployed this week to accelerate the process. The project also includes creating a 50-meter wide, deep-dredged channel to enhance floodwater discharge during monsoon season.
The Kosasthalaiyar’s carrying capacity near Ennore Creek is 1.25 lakh cusecs, but in 2023, a peak flow of only 75,000 cusecs resulted in upstream flooding due to accumulated debris. While a portion of Ennore Creek was desilted three years ago following a National Green Tribunal directive, fly ash deposits have since accumulated.
The WRD anticipates the project, which involves dredging the 1,700-meter stretch to a depth of 2.5 feet, will improve tidal influx, biodiversity, and the overall health of the Ennore ecosystem. NCTPS is responsible for the safe disposal of dredged materials. The project is slated for completion within three months.
First Piper 