Seminar on Waterways in Chennai, Valedictory Session, Presentation of the Recommendations of the Seminar

What the document covers

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority organised the Seminar on Waterways in Chennai to consider river flooding, pollution and restoration. The document records recommendations presented by Tmt. Susan Mathew, Additional Chief Secretary and Vice Chairperson of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, following five technical sessions and presentations by 23 speakers.

The recommendations treat rivers as living ecosystems and call for coordinated action to restore waterways. They propose using the river basin, rather than only the river channel, as the planning unit.

Who may be affected

The Seminar on Waterways in Chennai recommendations are relevant to owners and occupiers of land beside rivers, canals, lakes, flood plains and other watercourses. They are also relevant to people living in settlements on waterways, public agencies that own adjoining land, infrastructure bodies, developers and those planning large premises.

The document is a set of seminar recommendations. It does not state that it changes land ownership, planning permission or development rights by itself.

Main recommendations

• List priorities, implementation phases and stakeholder responsibilities for flood alleviation, pollution prevention, encroachment and obstruction removal, restoration and continued maintenance.
• Increase storage capacity in lakes and other water bodies, and widen rivers wherever possible.
• Develop suitable flood plains outside towns and cities as retention areas, parks, green belts, recreational areas or camp sites.
• Stop unauthorised polluting discharges and prevent untreated sewage or sullage from entering watercourses.
• Protect land along watercourses from encroachment through action by the departments that own it.
• Clearly define and regulate major lakes identified for potable water storage.
• Examine decentralised sewage treatment in large urban areas and take advance action to locate and acquire land for sewage treatment plant sites.
• Use scientific landfills because conventional dumping sites can pollute groundwater.
• Provide rehabilitation settlements with education, transport, livelihood opportunities and other infrastructure where slums on waterways must be relocated for environmental and flood safety reasons.
• Prepare integrated conservation and management plans for lakes and their catchments.
• Clearly demarcate recommended no construction zones upstream of identified lakes and regulate development there.
• Include groundwater recharge measures in micro level area plans for large premises such as schools and public places.
• Prepare an accurate contour map for storm water drainage design in the Metropolitan Area.

Coordination and public participation

The recommendations propose that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority take a lead role in bringing stakeholders together. They also call for a permanent arrangement for planning, coordination and monitoring, together with community education and public participation in protecting waterways.