Chennai Coastal Flooding

If Chennai coastal flooding and erosion remains to be significantly affected by episodic storm surge and wave setup, then, whether the environmental and socio-economic impacts associated with such episodic coastal flooding of coastal communities, farmland, buildings, transportation routes, industry and other infrastructures (as a function of tide, storm surge, wave setup and local RSL rise) would remain to be a concern for Chennai in the near future?

Do we have a local (Chennai) assessment of the projected coastal flooding resulting from the combination of extreme events and sea level rise towards informing policy directions? Have we already identified local hot-spots (in and around Chennai) that require detailed modelling with the required space and time scales (by minimizing simplifying assumptions)?

Whether Extreme Total Water Levels [ETWL] frequency distribution and/or the 100-year average return interval storm tide level would remain to be sufficient enough towards dictating Chennai coastal settlement and Chennai Infrastructure design?

Do we have the details on the duration of floods that remain to overtop Chennai Coastal protection resulting from Extreme Coastal Water Levels?

Can we expect Coastal Erosion accompanied by Shoreline Retreat?

If so, then, shoreline position change rates – would affect Ennore, Tiruvottiyur, T-Nagar, Guindy, Velachery, Thoraipakkam, Medavakkam, Navalur, Padur & Kelambakkam – from the changes in Adyar and Cooum rivers and its associated Fluvial Sediment Supply?

Suresh Kumar Govindarajan

Professor [HAG]

IIT Madras

21-Dec-2024