Human Negligence Cause Chennai Flood Carnage, Say Urban Planning Experts

With unprecedented damage from rain and floods in Chennai, the relief and rescue efforts are yet to return normalcy to many parts of the Tamil Nadu capital.

Urban planning experts lay the blame for the disaster squarely on human incompetence, with haphazard construction along the banks of lakes blocking channels, which would have normally allowed rain water to drain out.

The floods also exposed the unplanned manner in which urban development in the city had taken place over the decades, especially the practice of building on dried-up lake beds, they say.

According to a report from the Chennai Metro Development Authority, there are over 1.5 lakh illegal structures in the city which have been responsible for the disappearance of over 300 water bodies.

These low lying lands were then turned into concrete jungles with the very concept of storm-water drains lying largely forgotten, experts say.

Experts believe it is critical to have external agencies assess drainage systems and waterways and this disaster serves as a stark example of why it is essential for project planning to go hand in hand with city planning.