Many parts of Chennai have been inundated due to unusually heavy rains. The lakes there are all overflowing. The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains in Tamil Nadu till the 12th.
In this situation, due to climate change, it has to face heavy rains within six years. We will have to face a similar tragedy in the future, ”said an environmental activist. whats going on.
The Chennai Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains in the northern coastal districts due to the prevailing atmospheric circulation in the Bay of Bengal. Due to this, it rained heavily last Saturday night. In particular, Nungambakkam received 20 cm of rainfall while MRC Nagar, Villivakkam, Perambur, Meenambakkam and Tharamani received heavy rainfall.
Most parts of the city were submerged as more than 10 cm of rain fell in many parts of the city. According to the Met Office, heavy rains are expected in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu from 9 to 11 due to the northeast monsoon.
At the same time, the Meteorological Department did not give any warning of heavy rains. However, 3 cm of rain was recorded from 10 pm to 6 pm, 6 cm from 1 am to 1.45 am and 7 cm from 5 am to 6 am on the 7th.
This is called `mesoscale phenomena ‘. As such such rainfall cannot be predicted. For example, Nungambakkam received 20 cm of rainfall and Meenambakkam 11 cm of rainfall. You can feel the difference in rainfall over a distance of about 20 km. “
“What is the reason for the unpredictable heavy rainfall by the Meteorological Center?” We spoke to Sundarajan of Friends of the Earth on behalf of BBC Tamil.
“Climate change is causing short-term heavy rainfall. Ten centimeters of rain fell in half an hour on Marina Beach two weeks ago. This is called a ‘cloudburst’.
If the same amount of rain had fallen in the city, there would have been more damage. Also, we are not going to be able to predict rainfall. Due to the heavy rainfall, a lot of water evaporates as the sea temperature rises. Due to this there will be excess moisture in the atmosphere. That’s why it rains so much. “
“Did the average amount of rain vary?” “Yes. The southwest monsoon ends at the end of September each year. , The total rainfall over the past one week. Our drainage systems, structure, etc. can only be developed depending on how much rain falls in 3 hours, without looking at the average annual rainfall, the three-month average rainfall. “
“When it rains for two months, the water is stored in underground aquifers. Now we can see the water running away due to heavy rains. Chennai is a coastal city. When the sea level rises, the sea begins to infiltrate. This is what it means to go to Chennai. Chennai is a wonderful city. We have wasted it, “says Sundarajan.
“The normal map for Chennai was four rivers, 50 large canals and 540 small streams. That fact must be taken into account. “Until now, water has been stagnant, causing great loss to the economy. People will not be able to do any work for the next one week.
“If this is to be prevented, the government must abandon the expansion of the city of Chennai. They are expanding the city of Chennai to Arakkonam. If Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Arakkonam are included, there should be four thousand water bodies. As the city expands, it will occupy waterways and catchment areas. Water catchment areas should be protected as well as water levels. There is no need to expand the city of Chennai. The reason is that the environment is currently 2, 3 times more than the bearing capacity of Chennai.
In addition, 45 cm of rain fell in a single day in 1930, 1970 and 2015. In the past, when it rained like this, the time limit was too much. It has now rained heavily in the space of six years. This gap has narrowed due to climate change, ”said Sundarajan.
“It is not uncommon for heavy rains to fall in the last five years,” he said. From now on, this will be a normal event. Rainfall in ten years is expected in five years. It will be amazing if it rains the same way next year. The northeast monsoon is just beginning. The lakes are full by then, “said Nithyanand Jayaraman, an environmental activist.
Following is a list of more information. “When the earth warms, the vapor that comes out of it stays in the atmosphere. Currently, there is a low pressure area in the Arabian Sea. It is rare for something like this to happen in the Arabian Sea. Two storms have come this year. Currently a third storm is coming. Normally these have to come from the Bay of Bengal. Destroying lakes alone will not provide a solution. We need to think about how to change the economic structure.
Although climate change is a global problem, solutions must be local. Only if the area around us is healthy can we save future generations. In the Velachery area, if it rains every year, it will stop. They said they were going to build a canal there. That’s the thing that makes the contractor rich. That water has to go somewhere and join. It would not be right to leave it in the Bunkingham Canal. The engineering idea is to move a problem to another place without solving it. “
Coastal areas like Kovalam, Pallikaranai and Ennore should be healthy. Maintaining rainwater drainage within the city aside, these are the central blood vessels that can come in, such as Kosasthalai, Adyar, Koovam and Kovalam. We need to see how this can be improved ecologically without being seen as a canal.
We need to create a healthy environment in those areas and improve the livelihoods of the people. The government needs to listen to the people. Don’t listen to what real estate lobbies have to say. As the rain water overflows, `Boil the water and drink. It must have been a sewer, ‘a government official told the crowd. It is sad that no one sees this as an extraordinary thing, “said Nithyanand Jayaraman.
