Stormwater drain project in Chennai’s ECR stalled, German govt freezes funding

In another setback to the stormwater drain project in Chennai’s East Coast Road, the German Development Ministry funding the project has ordered for a fresh assessment over the alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and impact on turtle nesting grounds. The action by the German government comes after the TN State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) issued a stop work notice in December to check whether CRZ rules were violated in ECR.

The German Development Bank under the German Development Ministry funds the stormwater drain project of Greater Chennai Corporation. However, the German Ministry has now decided to stop funding until further clarification, said reports.

An official communique in this regard was sent from Norbert Barthle (Member of German Bundestag), Parliamentary State Secretary to Michel Brandt, Member of German Parliament.

According to the rules, the stormwater drains are permitted if the project does not fall on the ecologically sensitive CRZ areas. However, several environmentalists expressed their criticism over the project since cement structures were planned to be raised on CRZ areas.

Environmentalist Nithyanand Jayaram earlier said that the project was not discussed in the State Coastal Zone Management Authority meeting, and therefore, does not have CRZ clearance. The project also seeks to mitigate floods but the problem has arisen only due to the illegal constructions of the Chennai corporation, he alleged.

Read: Chennai wants to build stormwater drains on its beaches: Why this is a bad idea

On December 23, Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCMZA) issued a stop-work notice to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner after the National Green Tribunal instructed to take action if CRZ norms were found to be violated. Following this, Michel Brandt and German Members of Parliament wrote to KfW about the alleged irregularities. The German bank has ordered for a fresh assessment to check for violations.

According to reports, the Chennai Corporation said that the project has been stopped for the time being but they did not receive any communication from the German funding agency.