Chennai corporation plans Mambalam Canal desilting before northeast monsoon

The Greater Chennai Corporation wants to clean and improve the Mambalam Canal before the northeast monsoon.

The canal carries rainwater through several parts of Chennai.

Workers will remove mud and rubbish and make some sections deeper.

They will also clear blocked culverts and widen the place where the canal meets the Adyar River.

These changes are meant to help rainwater flow faster and reduce flooding.

Machines called robotic excavators will be used for the work.

Chennai Metro Rail may help clear a section near its underground metro construction.

The project follows an audit that found that much of an earlier, more expensive restoration project was not completed.