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< Back Examining Otteri Nallah A stormwater channel turned marginal space, where infrastructure decisions deepen ecological damage and social inequality. Thisai October 2024 Urban Drainage, Public Health, and the Limits of Short-Term Flood Mitigation in Chennai Otteri Nallah occupies a paradoxical position within Chennai’s urban landscape. Functioning simultaneously as a critical stormwater drain and a receptacle for the city’s waste, it reveals the deep contradictions embedded in contemporary urban water governance. The recurring floods, unhygienic conditions, and public health risks associated with Otteri Nallah are not the result of a single failure, but rather the cumulative outcome of infrastructural neglect, regulatory fragmentation, and an over reliance on short-term engineering and public health interventions. Thisai’s analysis of Otteri Nallah foregrounds a crucial argument: urban flooding and health crises cannot be addressed in isolation from the ecological and governance systems that produce them. The Nallah’s condition exemplifies how mismanaged urban waterways become sites where environmental degradation, infrastructural stress, and social vulnerability intersect. From Drainage Channel to Bottleneck: Encroachment, Waste, and Regulatory Failure Image on left: Still of Otteri Nallah, spurce: The Hindu. Right: Sub-basin of Otteri Nallah, source: adapted from CMDA Otteri Nallah is a major stormwater channel within the Cooum River basin, draining runoff from densely populated neighbourhoods such as Anna Nagar, Villivakkam, Perambur, and surrounding areas before discharging into the Cooum River. Unlike natural rivers with relatively stable widths and floodplains, urban nallahs like Otteri are highly variable systems, expanding as they collect water from multiple sources and contracting where constricted by development. This variability demands careful spatial planning and continuous maintenance. However, Otteri Nallah has instead been treated as residual infrastructure—something to be managed episodically during crises rather than integrated into long-term urban planning. The result is a drainage channel that is perpetually overwhelmed during moderate to heavy rainfall events. Image: Current status of Otteri Nallah, Source: The Hindu Residents along Otteri Nallah, particularly in parts of Anna Nagar, experience recurring floods that disrupt daily life and damage property. These floods are often framed in public discourse as inevitable consequences of heavy rainfall. Yet, our research points to a different conclusion: flooding is largely a product of inadequate silt removal, unchecked dumping of waste, and poorly regulated sewage discharge into stormwater drains. Desilting is frequently proposed as the primary solution. While necessary, it is increasingly deployed as a one-size-fits-all response, detached from the specific hydrological dynamics of Otteri Nallah. The Nallah’s flow characteristics differ significantly from conventional stormwater pipelines. Its width, depth, and carrying capacity fluctuate as it receives water from secondary drains and surface runoff. Treating it as a static conduit rather than a dynamic system undermines the effectiveness of routine desilting operations. One of the most striking aspects of Otteri Nallah’s degradation is the scale and persistence of solid waste dumping. Construction debris, household waste, and animal carcasses accumulate both within the channel and along its banks. These materials obstruct water flow, reduce effective channel depth, and accelerate siltation, turning sections of the Nallah into stagnant pools rather than a flowing drain. Encroachments further compound these issues. As buildings, compound walls, and informal structures press against the channel’s edges, they reduce its functional width and eliminate buffer zones that could otherwise absorb excess water. The Nallah is thus forced to perform beyond its diminished capacity, leading to overflows that disproportionately affect adjacent residential areas. Importantly, these physical obstructions are not random but symptomatic of weak enforcement. Despite existing regulations prohibiting dumping and construction near waterways, violations remain widespread, pointing to a persistent gap between policy and practice. Recent interventions have included the use of drone-based larvicide spraying to address mosquito proliferation along Otteri Nallah. While such measures may temporarily reduce mosquito populations and mitigate disease risks, they are explicitly identified as short-term solutions. Spraying does little to address the underlying conditions—stagnant polluted water, unmanaged waste, and industrial runoff—that create breeding grounds in the first place. This reliance on reactive public health interventions reflects a broader tendency in urban governance to manage crises rather than prevent them. Mosquito control becomes a recurring expense and logistical challenge precisely because the environmental conditions that sustain mosquito populations remain unchanged. A more effective approach, as highlighted in the analysis, would integrate waste management, sewage treatment, and drainage planning. Without addressing these root causes, public health measures risk becoming cyclical, offering temporary relief while leaving structural vulnerabilities intact. Rethinking Solutions: Beyond Desilting Recent efforts by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to impose spot fines for garbage dumping and illegal sewage discharge represent an important shift toward accountability. Fines ranging from ₹1,000 for waste dumping to ₹25,000 for illegal sewage connections signal an acknowledgment of the role everyday practices play in degrading waterways like Otteri Nallah. However, enforcement alone cannot compensate for systemic shortcomings. Penalties are effective only when monitoring is consistent and alternatives—such as accessible waste disposal systems and functioning sewage infrastructure—are in place. In the absence of these supports, punitive measures risk targeting symptoms rather than transforming behaviour at scale. A key intervention proposed is mandatory rainwater harvesting (RWH) for all buildings along the Otteri Nallah. This recommendation is particularly significant because it reframes the Nallah not as a channel meant to carry all forms of water, but specifically as a conduit for excess rainwater. By decentralising runoff management, RWH can reduce peak flows into the Nallah during rainfall events, easing pressure on an already stressed system. Regular canal maintenance is another essential measure, but it must extend beyond periodic desilting. Invasive vegetation, debris accumulation, and informal dumping require continuous monitoring and community engagement. Importantly, maintenance must be coordinated across departments responsible for water, sanitation, and solid waste, rather than treated as an isolated technical task. Otteri Nallah as an Urban Mirror: From Short-Term Control to Systemic Repair Otteri Nallah reflects the broader trajectory of Chennai’s relationship with its waterways. Once integral to the city’s drainage and ecological systems, such channels have been progressively reduced to utilitarian drains—expected to absorb runoff, waste, and sewage without adequate investment or protection. This transformation has social consequences. Communities living along the Nallah bear the brunt of flooding, pollution, and health risks, revealing how environmental degradation intersects with questions of equity and urban justice. The Nallah thus becomes not just an infrastructural problem, but a spatial manifestation of uneven urban priorities. The analysis presented here makes a compelling case for moving beyond reactive, fragmented solutions in addressing the challenges of Otteri Nallah. Desilting, larvicide spraying, and fines may be necessary, but they are insufficient on their own. What is required is a systemic shift—one that recognises urban waterways as dynamic, living systems embedded within social, ecological, and infrastructural networks. Restoring Otteri Nallah’s capacity and function will demand integrated planning, strict regulation of waste and sewage, decentralised rainwater management, and sustained public engagement. Without such a shift, the Nallah will continue to oscillate between neglect and crisis management, reinforcing the very vulnerabilities the city seeks to overcome. In this sense, Otteri Nallah is not an anomaly but a warning. How Chennai chooses to respond will shape not only the future of this single waterway, but the resilience of the city as a whole. Up Up

Thisai is an interdisciplinary architecture and urban research collective translating complex urban systems into accessible stories rooted in culture, politics, environment, and community. Thisai — where cities change direction Mission Thisai exists to make the invisible unavoidable. We document how people actually live in cities shaped by climate stress, inequality, and exclusion, and we challenge the systems that pretend these lives do not exist. We believe urban knowledge must begin with bodies, routines, and survival—not just policies and renderings. Read More Focus We work across water, ecology, waste, climate, history, energy, policies, infrastructure, agriculture and everyday urban life; examining how planning and architecture, power, policy, and environment intersect in the routines of the city. Water Ecology Citizens/People Waste Climate Change History, Art & Culture Energy Policies Infrastructure Agriculture View all research Why we exist? Every city claims resilience Few ask who is made to endure it Heat is not neutral Infrastructure is not equal Planning is never apolitical Yet urban decisions are repeatedly made without those who walk, wait, sell, clean, fish, build, and adapt every day. Thisai exists to confront that erasure Read More What we do 1 Urban Advocacy Thisai translates research into language that travels across classrooms, communities, and public debate. Awareness is not passive. It is political, shaping decisions, power, responsibility, action, and collective futures 2 Grounded Urban Research We study cities from the ground up—where climate, class, gender, and labour collide. Our work focuses on multiple themes, centring those who live with these realities daily. 3 Storytelling as Evidence We treat lived experience as data. Through essays, visual narratives, and field observations, we surface the everyday tactics people use to survive unjust urban systems. These stories are not anecdotes. They are proof. Read more We do not romanticise cities We interrogate them Thisai is for those who refuse to accept cities as they are presented. For planners, students, researchers, storytellers, and residents who know that behind every map is a lived experience and behind every policy, a consequence. Get in Touch Whether you have a question, feedback, or just want to say hello, feel free to reach out contactthisai@gmail.com First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting! “To make our world a better place, everyone should have an idea of how architecture works and what it can have an impact on.” - Boris Noir

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< Back The elephant in the room: Addressing wildlife-inclusivity in the design of the urban environment Animals reveal hidden urban ecologies, showing how cities function as shared habitats shaped by planning choices. Aaishwarya Jain and Madhulikaa March 2021 Image: A still from ‘Eeb Allay Ooo’ trailer. Source: YouTube “Eeb, Allay, Ooo; Eeb, Allay, Ooo;” shout two men riding on a cycle through the broad tree-lined roads of Lutyens’ Delhi, trying to scare away the aggressive monkeys that have become a nuisance of late in the locality. This is where, in the movie Eeb Allay Ooo, the protagonist receives training for the government job of a “monkey chaser” or a “monkey repeller” by imitating the sound of a langur (eeb), the natural predator of the monkey. Reading the word monkey repeller in the subtitles, the co-author was instantly hooked to the story and invested in the inherent absurdity of the situation. Although the movie was intended to be a satire on the current socio-political state of India, the ‘architect’ in the author couldn’t help but wonder if the strategies drafted while planning the capital city took into consideration the local wildlife. This instantly highlighted the need to include wildlife-inclusive urban design at the planning stage of Indian cities. While one author was caught up in the trail of thoughts left by the movie, the other discovered the joys of observing and not just ‘looking’ at views from the window while quarantined at home during the 2020 COVID pandemic. One such morning, the co-author saw cows bathe in a pool near the dilapidated Otteri canal that runs in the backyard of her home. The cows would be owned by someone who resides nearby, as they are regular visitors to this space. This urban space, by accident, provided a haven for cows. Envisioning the large diversity of living beings residing in cities, let’s take the case of the canal where the cows bathe. As architects or urban designers, when we imagine the canal being rejuvenated, it typically conjures visuals of steps going down to the canal, space for the water to swell, natural landscapes including trees and shrubs, maybe a playground for kids? But would these 'sustainable city’ visions provide space for the cows to bathe? Similarly, would monkey chasers be necessary for Delhi if urban habitats are designed holistically? These questions further highlight the need to examine the range of relationships Indian cities have with their animals. In this article, we intend to look at this generically, drawing upon examples from India and the rest of the world and will further zoom in to a human scale to investigate its physical manifestations in India. Image: Cows bathing in a patch of water and situated amid the dense city, eating the garbage being dumped on the edge of the plot. Source: Author Image: Manifestation of a typical canal rejuvenation in the same space. Source: Author Examining the current spectrum of relationships between cities and wildlife Image: Residential balconies encased with nets to prevent the entry of birds and other animals (Bhande, 2020) At one end of the spectrum, we can observe an attempt to prevent animals from accessing the built environment. This usually manifests as hostile architecture towards urban animals. Walls topped with barbed wire, glass shards or pointed metal needles serve as a defence mechanism in buildings in many cities. In the cities of India, non-human actors like the Rhesus Macaques, Bonnet Macaque, Langur, Spotted deer, Common Myna, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Red-Vented Bulbul, and Black Kite often fall prey to these “unpleasant” design interventions. Chequered nets and grill structures used to enclose balconies prove as a hindrance for birds navigating through the city. (Chugh, 2020a). The peak of this “unpleasantness” in design (Savičić and Savičić, 2016) can be witnessed in Bristol, UK where the trees in a parking lot have been installed with metal spikes to prevent birds from perching and nesting on them. This is claimed to be done for the sole purpose of protecting expensive cars from bird droppings. (Ward and Ashcroft, 2017). Image: Sparrows perched and nested in Shivsagar School, Assam (Studio Advaita, n.d) At the other end of the spectrum, we find that some animals like pigeons and monkeys (mostly non-domesticated ones that live in the urban setting) have found ingenious ways to adapt to the prevailing conditions to nest, commute and survive in the city. Scientific research shows that, through fierce adaptation, they have evolved into an urban-adapted species, known as “synurbics”, which are significantly different from their wild counterparts. Synurbics have been found to exhibit enhanced rates of productivity, higher life expectancy, faster growth and higher reproductivity rates due to their unique survival strategies in urban landscapes as opposed to the wild (Gonji, 2019). In cities, certain animals’ needs take precedence over others; especially those of domesticated animals. For instance, there are dog parks and cafes in several cities in India for domesticated dogs, while stray dogs are not welcome. In the same cityscape, the needs of other animals like cows and poultry are largely invisibilized. Image: Selective wildlife-inclusive urban design. Source: (Chugh, 2020b) So, how does the nature of this relationship impact humans, and how can we improve the relationship cities have with animals? Urban wildlife benefits humans as it helps control the spread of diseases that pass from animals to humans. Animal diversity controls zoonotic diseases without having to use as much pesticide. It also provides immense mental well-being benefits to humans. This is where ecological urbanism enters the picture - one that can incorporate and accommodate the inherent conflictual conditions between ecology and urbanism. Adopting an ecological urbanism approach would call for transdisciplinary strategies that look beyond the confines of architecture, urban planning and human needs to be able to produce “socially just interventions that are sensitive to the environment.”(Mostafavi, 2020). While standard “sustainable city” visions have been propelled by planning, architecture, and centred around energy, waste, and construction materials, the ecological urbanism lens aims to go beyond the myopic definition of “sustainable city” to include interdisciplinary ecological perspectives on urban issues. Further, Moshen Mostafavi (2020) identifies the challenge of the paradoxical term “ecological urbanism” and thus, urges planners and architects to use “the problems confronting our cities and regions” as “opportunities to define new approaches” to progress towards ecological desirable solutions that cater to ecology as a whole rather than a singular human-centric perspective. Graphic: The term “Ecological Urbanism” is a paradox in itself. Source: Author If one were to successfully adopt an ecological urbanism perspective in the case of the canal rejuvenation and the employment of ‘monkey chaser’ mentioned earlier, it should ideally result in a space that integrates the uses of humans, animals, and prioritises the symbiotic nature of the landscape. Although the definition of ecological urbanism needs to be applied at multiple levels, this article examines its application in the heart of cities and densely built-up areas. Most often, we categorise animal conservation to make it more applicable and avoid complexity. Existing wildlife conservation practices in urban areas focus predominantly on the protection of specific habitats (e.g. wetlands, marshlands), which are usually isolated from the densely built-up areas of cities. Despite sharing the same natural environment where interventions and policies come to life, urban design and conservation are rarely seen embracing each other to reach biodiversity goals (Weisser and Hauk, 2017). Incorporation of ecological design elements like green infrastructure, biophilic design for human benefit, is understood as mandatory for visions of urban sustainability. They are automatically assumed to have a positive effect on wildlife without much practical testing (Filazzola, Shrestha, & MacIvor, 2019). Image: Conservation seen as a separate entity. Source: Author Image: Conservation as a continuous entity. Source: Author Towards an inclusive urban environment by application of ecological urbanism Thus, the translation of ecological urbanism concepts must remain all-encompassing, taking into account the complex relationships present in the urban environment. In this perspective, the wildlife-inclusive urban design aims to establish a conservation continuum for wildlife. It focuses on “areas that are generally not prioritised for wildlife conservation” (Apfelbeck et al., 2020) and aims to propose strategies that develop new possibilities for wildlife conservation within dense built-up areas of cities. The following section details existing and proposed methodologies involved in the pertinent translation of ecological urbanism and wildlife-inclusive urban design in the real world. Strategy for an inclusive design process: After a thorough, critical analysis of several applications of wildlife-inclusive urban design, Apfelbeck et al. (2020) propose that the features of such successful projects are: 1. Interdisciplinary design teams that involve ecologists early on, 2. Consideration of the entire life-cycle of the target species, 3. Post-occupancy monitoring and evaluation with feedback to communicate best practices, and 4. Stakeholder involvement and participatory approaches. Graphic: Interdisciplinary team with ecologists early on, considering of life cycles of the target species. Source: Author Graphic: Post-occupancy monitoring and evaluation, Stakeholder and participatory involvement, Source: Author Felson et al. (2013) also urge urban ecology researchers to “use the design process as a framework for engaging with cities” and advocate for the inclusion of ecology research at the earliest stage (design) possible. Similarly, the idea of Animal-Aided Design strives to “include the presence of animals in the planning process, such that they are an integral part of the design” to enrich the urban design with species conservation (Weisser and Hauk, 2017). This would involve taking into consideration a species’ life cycle at the beginning of the planning process to avoid conflict during it. The ultimate goals of Animal-aided Design can be summarised as 1) providing space for a species in an urban environment that would otherwise be lost due to development plans and 2) an opportunity to create new habitats for these species. Image: Animal-Aided Design process (Weisser and Hauk, 2017) For Animal-aided Design to be successful, we have to reflect on the socio-political status of wildlife in the urban landscape. Donaldson and Kymlicka (2011), introduce political legitimacy into the idea of integration of wildlife into the urban landscape. In their seminal book, Zoopolis: A political theory of Animal Rights, they study the roles of different types of animals in human society. They classify them into domesticated, liminal, and wild animals and align them with citizenship rights to aim for the protection of animals’ rights and hope to create a “mutually-enriching, respectable and non-exploitative environment for animals and humans” (Abney, n.d). Image: Citizenship rights of animals according to Donaldson and Kymlicka (2011). Source: Author Additionally, citizen science has proved instrumental in establishing social-ecological connections, thus creating a new meaning of place while deepening social, personal, and environmental attachments (Toomey, Strehlau-Howay, Manzolillo and Thomas, 2020). This further serves as a motive for investing greater time in the conservation of urban wildlife. Integrating the above-mentioned methods into the current urban planning/design process ensures a greater chance at success as opposed to it existing as a separate procedure or in addition to the existing one. Post-implementation, the continuous assessment and evaluation of the wildlife-inclusive urban design interventions become vital for their long-term sustainability and success. Apfelbeck et al. (2020) have such a solution at hand: a planning cycle to incorporate wildlife needs at every stage of the planning and design process. Image: Depicts a planning cycle for successful integration of wildlife-inclusive urban design into the urban planning and design process from Apfelbeck et al. (2020). The green text indicates the wildlife needs, and the blue font highlights stakeholder requirements at each step. Wildlife-inclusive urban design has to be mainstreamed to create a socially just and inclusive environment for urban animals. On the other hand, it is crucial to ensure that these interventions do not make animals dependent on humans for their survival, but rather create spaces where all kinds of urban animals and humans can coexist. Research by urban ecologists states that the over-dependence of monkeys on the residents for their daily food requirements has led to them being more aggressive, especially when they are not able to access resources with the same ease. The peculiar case of monkey groups wandering around Luyten’s Delhi, causing havoc to residents, serves as a cautionary tale, urging humans to be mindful of the way they interact with urban animals. Though knowledge and awareness form the first step towards the implementation of wildlife-inclusive urban design, transparency and political will are cornerstones to turn this knowledge into a successful, transformative capacity and actionable policies. Image: Repurposing green roofs into green corridors to cater to a greater degree of biodiversity while also protecting birds/animals from vehicles. Based on New York architecture firm DLANDstudio’s discussions. Source: Author On an endnote: Reflect, Rethink and Include The pandemic has shown us the consequences of increased human-animal conflicts as a result of the loss of habitat, which is occurring all across the world. As humans, we need to acknowledge that we are not alone in inhabiting the earth, and we should create spaces that maintain a harmonious ecosystem. The article questions the role of a designer in creating wildlife-inclusive cities, especially in the Indian context and urges us to question: Is it enough for architects, landscape architects, and urbanists to simply conceive the future centring around ‘sustainable architecture’ or blue-green landscapes oriented only towards human needs? To begin, we urge designers to understand the concept of ecological urbanism and avoid compartmentalisation of conservation strategies. The urban context is still a habitat for various non-human actors, and it’s our responsibility to facilitate life to thrive in all forms. The design process has to include ecologists from the beginning to ensure eco-sensitivity holds the utmost significance and is not just an afterthought. Multi-disciplinary teams can widen the objectives of our designs and bring out innovative solutions. We also need to develop systems and frameworks for post-occupancy evaluation and feedback. As designers and planners, the intent is to pause the next time we are working on a design problem and remind ourselves of the vast world that the word ‘nature’ encompasses and be imaginative in creating spaces, installations or just nothingness that lets nature flourish. Endnote: The authors would like to firstly thank Sagana and her blog Column1o6 for being the platform that planted the seed for this article! They are immensely grateful to Aditi Subramanian for her editorial insights during the writing process. The authors would like to extend their gratitude to Deepesh & Hamza at Multilogue Collective for hosting this article on Urban Dialogue in 2021. References Abney, M., n.d. Summary Of Zoopolis: A Political Theory Of Animal Rights. [online] Animalstudies.msu.edu.(http://Animalstudies.msu.edu) [Accessed 4 January 2021]. Bhande, A., 2020. Residential balconies encased with nets to prevent entry of birds and other animals [image]. [Accessed 27 December 2020]. Apfelbeck, B., Snep, R., Hauck, T., Ferguson, J., Holy, M., Jakoby, C., Scott MacIvor, J., Schär, L., Taylor, M. and Weisser, W., 2020. Designing wildlife-inclusive cities that support human-animal co-existence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 200, p.103817. Arcari, P., Probyn-Rapsey, F. and Singer, H., 2020. Where species don’t meet: Invisibilized animals, urban nature and city limits. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, p.251484862093987. Chugh, K., 2020a. More-Than-Human Cities: On Urban Design And Nonhuman Agency. [online] Cuesonline.org.(http://Cuesonline.org) [Accessed 27 December 2020]. Chugh, K., 2020b. Needs Of A Domesticated Dog Taking Precedence Over Other Urban Animals. [image] [Accessed 27 December 2020]. Donaldson, S. and Kymlicka, W., 2011. Zoopolis: A Political Theory Of Animal Rights. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Filazzola, A., Shrestha, N., & MacIvor, J.S., 2019. The contribution of constructed green infrastructure to urban biodiversity: a synthesis and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology, 56, 2131-2143. Felson, A., Pavao-Zuckerman, M., Carter, T., Montalto, F., Shuster, B., Springer, N., Stander, E. and Starry, O., 2013. Mapping the Design Process for Urban Ecology Researchers. BioScience, 63(11), pp.854-865. Gonji, A., 2019. Human-Generated Food And Urban Wildlife. [online] Cuesonline.org.(http://Cuesonline.org) [Accessed 27 December 2020]. Independant, 2017. Anti-Bird Spikes Installed On Trees In Bristol. [image] [Accessed 30 December 2020]. Mostafavi, M., 2020. Harvard Design Magazine: Why Ecological Urbanism? Why Now?. [online] [Accessed 26 September 2020]. Savičić, G. and Savičić, S. ed., 2016. Unpleasant Design. 1st ed. G.L.O.R.I.A. Studio Advaita, n.d. Sparrows Preached And Nested In Shivsagar School, Assam. [image] [Accessed 31 December 2020]. Rodrigues, L.C., 2015. Review of Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Political Studies Review, 13, pp 399-399. Toomey, A.H, Strehlau-Howay, L., Manzolillo, B. and Thomas, C., 2020. The place-making potential of citizen science: Creating social-ecological connections in an urbanized world. Landscape and Urban Planning, 200, p.103824. Ward, S. and Ashcroft, E., 2017. Wealthy Bristol Residents Cause Outrage By Installing 'Anti-Bird Spikes' To Stop Droppings Hitting Expensive Cars. [online] The Independent. [Accessed 30 December 2020]. Weisser, W.W. and Hauck, T.E., 2017. ANIMAL-AIDED DESIGN–using a species’ life-cycle to improve open space planning and conservation in cities and elsewhere. [Accessed 27 December 2020] Up Up

< Back Ennore: Ashes and Echoes A non-fiction glimpse into Ennore’s intertwined landscapes and lives, revealing resilience amid exploitation and echoes. Thisai and Varun October 2024 As the river gently flows into the salty embrace of the ocean, a remarkable transformation takes place—ecosystems intertwine and merge. Mangrove roots weave together like ancient storytellers, sharing tales of resilience and adaptation, while salt marshes stand guard, their lush fronds dancing in the briny breeze. Yet beneath this tranquil landscape lies a story tainted by corruption, disruption, isolation, and exploitation. The people of Ennore have countless untold stories that they've lived and survived. We are excited to present a glimpse of our non-fiction creative film, Ashes and Echoes. We're currently working on pre-production, as the film focuses more on people's lives and landscapes rather than being a plea for help. This led us to choose the creative non-fiction filmmaking format in the hopes of capturing life as is at Ennore. This is also a call for cinematographers and videographers to join our team, capturing this perspective through a different lens and helping us bring the stories of Ennore to a global audience. Special thanks to Mr. Raagu, CCAG for being there all along the way. Up Up

< Back Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam canal Engineered drainage replaces living systems, questioning whether concrete solutions can ever restore urban water resilience. Thisai December 2024 Urban Flooding, Hydrological Disruption, and the Limits of Engineering-Led Fixes in Chennai Urban flooding in Chennai is frequently attributed to extreme rainfall events, yet such explanations obscure the deeper structural transformations that have rendered the city increasingly vulnerable to water-logging. The Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal (V-A Canal), a relatively modest but hydrologically significant channel within the Cooum sub-basin, offers a revealing case study of how urban waterways are progressively compromised through encroachment, infrastructural misalignment, and governance fragmentation. The flooding associated with this canal is not an isolated malfunction, but a systemic outcome of how urban growth has been layered onto fragile hydrological systems. Situating the Canal Within Chennai’s Waterscape and Unequal Risk Series of images and maps showing the location of the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam canal in the Cooum sub-basin and the watersheds surrounding it. The Virugambakkam–Arumbakkam Canal is part of the Cooum River sub-basin and functions as a minor channel within Chennai’s broader drainage network. Originating near Nerkundram, the canal flows through Virugambakkam, Arumbakkam, and Aminjikarai before joining the Cooum River near Nelson Manickam Road. Spanning approximately 6.3 kilometres and draining a catchment area of nearly 13.7 square kilometres, the canal plays a critical role in conveying stormwater from densely built neighbourhoods.Historically, such canals were integral to Chennai’s hydrological logic, designed to intercept surface runoff and route excess water into rivers and wetlands. However, as the city expanded, these channels were increasingly reclassified from ecological infrastructure to residual urban space, vulnerable to narrowing, obstruction, and pollution. Mapping of the canal’s watershed reveals its intersection with multiple drainage basins, including the Cooum River, Otteri Nullah, and Adyar River watersheds. Settlements located within the V-A Canal watershed are disproportionately exposed to flooding, as any disruption along the canal directly translates into water backing up into streets and homes. This spatial unevenness underscores an important dynamic: flooding is not distributed randomly across the city but is shaped by watershed boundaries that often cut across administrative wards. As a result, governance responses framed at ward or zonal levels frequently fail to address upstream-downstream interdependencies, leaving canal-adjacent communities particularly vulnerable. The Narrowing of a Canal and Bottlenecks One of the most significant factors contributing to flooding along the V-A Canal is the drastic reduction in its effective width. Originally measuring approximately 19 metres wide, the canal has, in several stretches, been constricted to barely 5 metres. This narrowing has occurred through a combination of formal and informal encroachments namely residential buildings, compound walls, and infrastructure projects that progressively eat into the canal’s buffer zones. The implications of this transformation are quantifiable. The canal’s carrying capacity has dropped from an estimated 1,700 cubic feet per second (cusecs) to around 800 cusecs. During periods of intense rainfall, this reduced capacity is quickly overwhelmed, causing water to spill into adjacent neighbourhoods. Flooding, in this sense, is not a failure of rainfall management but a foreseeable consequence of spatial constriction. Bridges crossing the canal, intended to enable connectivity, have emerged as critical chokepoints. Of the 24 bridges identified along the canal, at least 11 are characterised by narrow vents, some less than 2 feet wide and under 5 feet high. These structures significantly impede water flow, especially when debris accumulates during monsoon events. Rather than facilitating continuity, such bridges fragment the canal hydraulically, creating localized backflow and stagnation. The problem is not merely one of maintenance but of design: bridges were constructed without adequate consideration of flood discharge requirements or future urban intensification. This reflects a broader tendency to treat water channels as static features rather than dynamic systems that respond to seasonal and climatic variability. Pollution, Hydraulic Failure, Governance Fragmentation and Reactive Management Image from left to right: Dumping of municipal waste on the canal has become a common practice; Encroachments have also significantly contributed to the reduction in the canal's width. The canal’s ability to function as a drainage conduit is further compromised by chronic pollution. Untreated sewage from residential colonies and commercial establishments is routinely discharged into the canal, increasing sedimentation and reducing flow velocity. Municipal and construction waste dumped into the channel exacerbates this problem, physically blocking water movement and raising the canal bed over time. These practices transform the canal from a flowing watercourse into a sluggish, silt-laden drain. During heavy rainfall, accumulated waste acts as a dam, intensifying flooding upstream. Pollution thus becomes not only an environmental concern but a direct contributor to hydraulic failure. Institutional responsibility for the canal has historically been fragmented. While the Water Resources Department (WRD) oversaw the canal earlier, its maintenance was recently transferred to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). This shift has enabled more focused interventions, including desilting approximately 2.5 kilometres of the canal and removing an estimated 1,100 tonnes of silt from identified choke points. However, these actions remain largely reactive. Desilting addresses symptoms rather than underlying causes such as encroachments, bridge design flaws, and land-use pressures. Moreover, enforcement against illegal dumping and construction remains inconsistent, allowing degradation to recur even after interventions. Engineering Solutions and Their Limits Proposed solutions include demolishing narrow bridges, constructing new bridges with higher arch culverts capable of carrying up to 1,300 cusecs of water, and building compound walls to prevent encroachment and dumping. A cut-and-cover diversion drain has also been proposed to divert part of the canal’s flow directly into the Cooum River, reducing pressure on downstream stretches. While these measures may improve flow efficiency in the short term, they raise critical questions about the limits of engineering-led fixes. Without addressing land-use governance, sewage treatment, and watershed-scale planning, such interventions risk becoming cyclical; repeated after every major flood event without achieving long-term resilience. Rethinking Urban Waterways: From Containment to Coexistence The flooding of the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal illustrates a broader urban paradox: water bodies are simultaneously overburdened during monsoons and neglected during dry periods. This duality reflects a planning paradigm that treats canals as expendable utilities rather than living systems embedded within social and ecological networks. A more sustainable approach would require restoring buffer zones, enforcing no-build regulations along canal edges, integrating sewage infrastructure with drainage planning, and recognising canals as public ecological assets. Importantly, this also demands coordination across agencies and scales, linking watershed logic with urban governance. The question is not merely why the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal floods, but what its flooding reveals about the city’s relationship with water. The canal’s constriction, pollution, and fragmentation mirror the broader erasure of hydrological thinking from urban development processes. As climate change intensifies rainfall variability, Chennai’s canals will increasingly test the limits of current planning practices. The choice before the city is stark: continue managing floods through incremental engineering responses, or reimagine urban waterways as central to resilience, equity, and sustainability. The future of neighbourhoods along the V-A Canal and countless others like it depends on which path is taken. Up Up

< Back Cooum Conundrum A once-living river reshaped into an urban drain, revealing how planning failures and social exclusion flow together. Eromitha May 2024 A longer article is coming soon. For now, we urge you to read the core of our research and join the conversation it invites. The Cooum river holds deep historical significance as a lifeline for the city of Chennai, India. It has been a witness to centuries of civilization, serving as a crucial source of water for irrigation, transportation, and sustenance for communities along its banks. Overtime, it became a symbol of Chennai's resilience and adaptability, surviving numerous challenges and transformations. Despite facing pollution and neglect in recent years, efforts to revive and restore the Cooum river reflect its enduring importance to the environmental fabric of the region. The journey of the Cooum river reveals more than the story of a waterway, it reflects Chennai’s evolving relationship with its land, its people, and its priorities. From a nurturing lifeline to a neglected channel burdened by urban pressures, the river’s transformation raises urgent questions about how cities grow, what they choose to preserve, and what they allow to disappear. The loss of avenues, gardens, banks, and catchments is not accidental; it is the outcome of layered decisions, shifting values, and systemic oversight. As neighbourhoods like Koyambedu and Arumbakkam continue to thrive as engines of the city’s economy and expansion, we must pause to ask: at what ecological cost has this progress come? Can restoration efforts truly succeed without addressing the historical patterns of encroachment, governance gaps, and public disengagement? And how might communities reimagine development that coexists with, rather than overrides, natural systems? These are not questions with simple answers. They demand critical reflection, accountability, and sustained public dialogue. This research sets the stage for deeper inquiry; one that will examine the political, social, and environmental forces shaping the Cooum today. Stay tuned for a detailed critical analysis that will unpack these complexities and explore what the future of the river, and the city it sustains, could yet become. Up Up

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