The Chennai Municipal Corporation is deploying technologies to prevent flooding and water stagnation after cyclone Nivar hit the region last week.
It is using a three-wheeled automated tree-cutter machine in several parts of the city. Also, robotic machines fitted to mini-tractors to lift garbage, an aquatic weed harvester to remove weeds from water bodies, and amphibians used to remove silt from the canals, a news report noted.
According to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s tweets, “High tech machines are being used to remove water stagnation at the flood-prone localities along the water channels such as Velachery, Adyar, and Mambalam.”
Corporation officials said that these machines were used throughout the night to make way for the smooth flow of water. “We have deployed amphibians and robotics machines to remove silt in water bodies in almost all the zones. These machines were all working throughout the night with two officials present,” a government official said.
The robotic tractor was used at the Mambalam canal, while the Adyar Creek was being dredged using an amphibian. The civic body is deploying ‘super recyclers’, which are fitted into huge tankers.
“They also have very broad pipes and more powerful motors, unlike the normal sewage removal machines used in the city. Up to 12,000 litres of water can be sucked out in about 20 minutes with these machines,” the official said, adding that in most of the broad roads, they use this machine and less manual work was involved.
The corporation has distributed six motorised tree-cutters in the city. “Three have been given to the central zone, two to the north zone and one to the south zone,” the official said. The machines were used in several areas such as Adyar, Nungambakkam and Ashok Nagar where several trees fell.
The cyclone has left Chennai with an excess of 36% rain for the season so far. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that a low-pressure area may form this week. Weather trackers said there are chances of it intensifying into a cyclonic storm.
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