A STUDY ON URBAN CHENNAI FLOODING MITIGATION

STRATEGIES USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of

Bachelor of Engineering in
Civil Engineering

by

VASEEKARAN.R (39200042)
MOHAMMED RIYAZ.A (39200023)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT

SATHYABAMA
INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY)
Accredited with Grade “A” by NAAC I 12B Status by UGC I Approved by AICTE
JEPPIAAR NAGAR, RAJIV GANDHI SALAI, CHENNAI - 600 119

APRIL 2023
i
 SATHYABAMA
INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY)
Accredited with “A” grade by NAAC Jeppiaar Nagar, Rajiv
Gandhi Salai, Chennai – 600 119 www.sathyabama.ac.in

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this Project Report is the bonafide work of Vaseekaran.R
(39200042), Mohammed Riyaz.A (39200023), who carried out the project entitled “A
study on urban chennai flooding mitagation strategies using geospatial
technologies” under my supervision from October 2022 to April 2023.

Internal Guide

(Dr. S. PACKIALAKSHMI)

External Guide
(Dr.K.NAGAMANI)

Head of the Department

___________________________________________________________________

Submitted for Viva voce Examination held on 19.04.2023

Internal Examiner External Examiner

ii
 DECLARATION

We, VASEEKARAN.R (39200040), MOHAMMED RIYAZ.A (39200023) hereby

declare that the Project Report on “A STUDY ON URBAN FLOODING
MITIGATION STRATIGIES USING GEO SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES” done by us
under the guidance of Dr.S.PACKIALAKSHMI and Dr.K.NAGAMANI at
Sathyabama Institute of Science and technology is submitted in partial fulfilment of
the requirements of the award of Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil
Engineering.

1.

2.
DATE: 13.04.2023

PLACE: Chennai SIGNATURE OF THE CANDIDATE

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are pleased to acknowledge our sincere thanks to Board of Management of

SATHYABAMA for their kind encouragement in doing this project and for
completing it successfully. We are grateful to them.

We convey our sincere thanks to Dr. DEVYANI GANGOPADHYAY., B.Arch.,

M.T.P., Ph.D., Dean, School of Building and Environment and
Dr. S. PACKIALAKSHMI, M.E., Ph.D., and Dr. R. PADMAPRIYA, M.E., Ph.D. Head
of the Department, Department of Civil Engineering for providing us necessary
support and details at the right time during the progressive reviews.

We would like to express our sincere and deep sense of gratitude to our Project
Guide Dr. S. PACKIALAKSHMI and Dr.K.NAGAMANI. for their valuable guidance,
suggestions and constant encouragement paved way for the successful completion
of our project work.

We wish to express our thanks to all Teaching and Non-teaching staff members of
the DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING who were helpful in many ways for
the completion of the project.

iv
 ABSTRACT

Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, is prone to floods during the monsoon season

due to various factors such as encroachment of water bodies, improper drainage

systems, and urbanization. The purpose of this report is to present the findings of a

study on urban Chennai flooding and suggest mitigation strategies using geospatial

technology. This study formulates a new method for flood mapping, while remote

sensing technology and flood modelling methods are irrelevant due to unavailability of

data. Bad weather and temporal resolution (Revisit time)affect the availability of satellite

imagery in peak flood hour and for flood modelling, discharge data are required.

Mapping the flood is very important for future references and planning. In Chennai, a

major flood occurred was on 2015, which is almost 100 years back and we cannot

predict the future events also so that a flood map is essential for the future references.

By taking Chennai as study area we have designed a methodology for calculating the

flood inundated area using GIS. Flood depth was surveyed using a participatory GIS

approach and this paper demonstrates the capability of GIS technology to accurately

map the flood inundated area. By this method, To minimize the environmental impacts

of Flood hazards.

Keywords: Chennai Flood, GIS , Flood Successibility Map, Thematic layers, Rainfall

Data, DEM, Slope Aspect.

v
 TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER NO TITLE PAGE NO

ABSTRACT iv

LIST OF FIGURES vii

ix

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 GENERAL 1

1.2 AIM 5

1.3 OBJECTIVES 5

1.4 SCOPE 5

2 REVIEW FOR LITERATURE 6

3 METHODOLOGY 1

3.1 FLOODING IN CHENNAI 13

3.2 MITIGATION STRATEGIES 14

3.3 WARNING SYSTEMS 17

3.4 INTEGRATED GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES 18

vi
4 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS 21

4.1 FLOOD SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS 21

4.2 SLOPE
23
4.3 DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL
26
4.4 INUNDATED AREA
28

5 CONCLUSION 32

REFERENCES 33

vii
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIG NO TITLE PAGE NO

3.1 WARNING SYSTEMS 15

3.2 INTEGRATED GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES 18

4.1 FLOOD SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS 22

4.2 SLOPE 24

4.3 DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL 26

4.4 INUNDATED AREA 28

viii
 CHAPTER 1

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL
All over the world, floods are the most common disaster; their frequency, magnitude and
the cost of damagare very high. Flooding is a temporary condition where sudden water
is accumulated from inland or tidal or from rapid runoff due to rain, causing complete
inundation (Jeb and Aggarwal, 2008). The Disasters resulting due to various weather
conditions affected many countries which caused the loss of many Lives; several
properties were damaged above all overall economic activities were disrupted.
Weather-related disasters that happened from the year 1995 to 2015, 47% among them
were due to flooding in which 2.3 billion people were suffered were from Asia. The most
flood-affected country in the World is Bangladesh and then comes the position of India
and one-fifth of the global death rate is happening due to flood. Twenty-three states in
the nation are liable to floods and hectares of about 40 million lands, around one-eighth
of the nation’s topographical region, is inclined to floods. India counts almost one-fifth of
worldwide death rate because of floods. Around four Lakh square km or about one-
eighth of India's topographical territory is flooding inclined.

Recent floods in Chennai show that the city has learnt nothing from the 2015 deluge.
November was a devastating month for flooding in Chennai. With 1,000 mm of rainfall in
just four weeks, these were the worst rains since the devastating floods of 2015 when it
poured for 22 out of 30 days in December setting a record of 1,049 mm. Then, as now,
the flooding in Chennai was described as a man-made disaster, despite occurring
during a storm called Cyclone Novara. On both occasions, death, disruption and
destruction was the result. India has faced more than 300 weather events in the last two
decades, resulting in over 79,000 deaths.

From 1 June 2018 to 19 Aug 2018 Chennai experienced an intensely high rainfall,

1
which resulted in severe flooding in 13 districts of Chennai. Only one district was out of
this tragic flood. As per IMD data, from June 1st, 2018 to Aug 19th, 2018 Chennai
received rainfall of about 2346.6mm was only expected rainfall of 1649.5 mm. The
resulted rainfall was 42% above the expected value. Above than normal rainfall
experienced in Chennai during June, July and August, June faced 15% more, July 18%
more and from August 1st to August 19th it was 164% more problem faced by officials
was the unavailability of flood prone area maps for reference. Because of that they
faced difficulties in evacuation and selecting camp locations, two relief camp locations
selected were flooded during the peak flood hours and people were stranded there. This
makes the necessity of a Flood map for future reference. When considering the
previous major flood in Chennai was on 2015, which is around 100 years back, shows
the importance to map the current flood events for the future generation. Otherwise, the
same disaster will be repeated. There are several GIS and Remote sensing flood
mapping techniques, GIS gives enabling technology by providing a feasible solution.
GIS also have suitable tools and methods assisting each stage of flood management.
GIS helps in the various processes such as locating, planning, mitigation actions, aiding
in response, helps in recovery management. By remote sensing, data for GIS analysis
are acquired, there are several research on Remote sensing for flood mapping, most of
the works were on optical remote sensing, using several optical satellites like Landsat
Thematic Mapper (TM) data in North America [9]and Landsat Multispectral Scanner
(MSS) remote sensing of e t Joy et al., International Journal on Emerging Technologies
10(1): 197-205(2019) 198 West Africa , Many studies using Landsat MSS band 7 , TM
bands 4 and 7 . NDWI was used in water delineation , Flood monitoring was done using
NOAA AVHRR sensor . Found a method using IRS-D and DEM to evaluate safe areas
for Tapi Basin, Surat District. In that condition, they believe that Radar Sensors work
better than Optical Sensors because it can penetrate the clouds and can work during
the night and dark conditions. The Radar sensors available during the flood events are
ALOS 2 PALSAR, Dated August 17, 15:30Hrs, Radarsat-2, Dated August 18, 19:00Hrs,
Terra SAR-X, Dated August 18: 04Hrs , Sentinel 1A, Dated 21 August. They used
Sentinel 1A for studying flood, 2018 for entire Kerala state. But specifically for this study

2
area, Chennai, peak flood hours was on 16th August and after that, it receded
immediately, so satellite remote sensing was not a good option here. So field survey is
sometimes the only choice, availability of sensors and temporal resolution may reduce
the options to field survey only , Werner had proposed a method for calculating the flood
inundated area. The flood depth raster was created using the IDW interpolation
technique from flood depth points and was subtracted from DEM. To remove low lying
areas, which were not connected to the river, he used a cost distance algorithm. He
concluded that to find better interpolation techniques, IDW tends to show some
variations. Then had done works on using ancillary information from digital elevation for
removing the difficulties of unavailability of satellite data during the peak flood event.
‘Least accumulative cost – distance’ matrix is derived from digital topography. The least
accumulative cost distance matrix was integrated with the flood inundated area
extracted from SAR imagery processing. This method can solve the problem of the
unavailability of satellites during the peak flood event. Flood depth data collections from
the field using traditional survey methods are costly and time consuming due to skilled
manpower requirement and sophisticated equipment. So another approach was
followed, and it was able to generate data with the help of the local community and to
integrate that information in GIS and it is called PGIS, Participatory GIS . To calculate
the flood inundated area . When data of flood discharge is not available flood modelling
techniques using software like HEC-RAS, MIKE II, LISFLOOD etc. are irrelevant . A
good example of using PGIS due to unavailability of data showed in research carried in
New Orleans in the USA, where difficulties were faced while surveying neighborhood
needs . PGIS is a technology which was upheld as the perfect platform for adding the
power of information from local communities of the nation and can be used in natural
resource management . PGIS can be simplified to collectively include many groups for
mapping purpose. Mobile applications can be used in PGIS to make the mapping
simple and efficient . ODK (Open Data Kit) is the perfect open source mobile platform
for PGIS because of the facilities of making a questionnaire and storing the data in the
server. Every mobile phone is connected to the server and final surveyed results can be
downloaded from a single platform. Volunteers are trained on ODK to collect application

3
and were divided into groups; each group contains local members or panchayat
officials, which increased the data quality due to local knowledge.

Recent floods in Chennai show that the city has learnt nothing from the 2015 deluge.
November was a devastating month for flooding in Chennai. With 1,000 mm of rainfall in
just four weeks, these were the worst rains since the devastating floods of 2015 when it
poured for 22 out of 30 days in December setting a record of 1,049 mm, the flooding in
Chennai was described as a man-made disaster, despite occurring during a storm
called Cyclone Novara, death, disruption and destruction was the result. India has more
than 300 weather events in the last two decades, resulting in over 79,000 deaths.

4
1.2 AIM

The aim of the study on urban Chennai flooding for mitigation strategies using
geospatial technology is to assess the causes and impacts of flooding in urban areas of
Chennai, identify vulnerable areas, and develop effective flood mitigation strategies
using geospatial technology.

1.3 OBJECTIVES

• To Study the prevailing urban flooding issues and their potential impacts through
intensive literature survey.

• To analyse the various real time site specific flooding scenarios to derive the
cause -effect relations for Urban Chennai Flooding by collecting primay and
secondary data sources.

• To identify the potential flood prone zones by conductng geospatial analysis for
various thematic layers

• To develop the Flood susceptibility maps to avoid or minimize the environmental

impacts of flood hazard.

1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY

The scope of the study on urban Chennai flooding for mitigation strategies using
geospatial technology includes the assessment of the current flood situation in urban
Chennai, analysis of historical flood data, and identification of vulnerable areas based
on geospatial analysis. The study also involves evaluating the impact of land use
changes on flooding, analyzing the efficiency of existing flood mitigation measures, and
identifying potential strategies for flood mitigation using geospatial technology. The
study aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations to stakeholders for
effective flood mitigation strategies using geospatial technologies.

5
 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Zwenzner, H (2008) formulated the flood risk management using a GIS method
through multi- criteria analysis. Flood risk assessment using the GIS based multi-criteria
methodology is a relatively new approach, and only a few studies have implemented it.
A pilot study for the River Mule in Saxony, Germany , was developed using the multi-
attribute utility theory (MAUT) and a disjunctive approach was used to assign weights
for four different criteria. Given the increase in flood events in recent years, accurate
flood risk assessments an important component of flood mitigation in urban areas. This
research aims to develop updated and accurate flood risk maps in the Don River
Watershed within the Great Toronto Area (GTA).

Nelson SA (2015) used the geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-
criteria analysis along with the application of Analytical Hierarchy Process methods to
define and quantify the optimal selection of weights for the criteria that contribute to
flood risk. The flood hazard maps were generated for four scenarios, each with different
criteria (S1,S2, S3, and S4). The base case scenario (S1) is the most accurate, since it
takes into account the floodplain map developed by the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority. It also considers distance to streams (DS), height above
nearest drainage (HAND), slope (S), and the Curve Number (CN). S2 only considers
DS, HAND, and CN, whereas S3 considers effective precipitation (EP), DS, HAND, and
S. Lastly, S4 considers total precipitation (TP), DS, HAND, S, and CN. In addition to the
flood hazard, the social and economic vulnerability was included to determine the total
flood vulnerability in the watershed under three scenarios; the first one giving a higher
importance to the social vulnerability, the second one giving equal importance to both
social and economic vulnerability, and the third one giving more importance to the
economic vulnerability.

6
 Peduzzi (2009)The results for each of the four flood scenarios show that the
flood risk generated. The inclusion of social and economic vulnerability highlights the
impacts or mapping flood susceptibility under the GIS-based multi-criteria
analysis.Therefore, in this study, the total precipitation and effective precipitation
(defined below) was also included in order to analyze the influence of these criteria. The
floodplain map, provided by the TRCA, was also included in this research. This
floodplain map was generated using extensive hydrologic and hydraulic models. The
current study includes new criteria, and it also evaluates different flood scenarios by
varying the criteria used to improve flood maps compared to previous studies, and the
floodplain map generated by the TRCA. The social exposure is based on the number of
vulnerable groups in the area. The vulnerable groups were determined by age, family
structure, language proficiency, income, education level, land tenure , and population
density . These criteria for determining social vulnerability were selected based on a
previous study , which reviewed 142 articles related to social vulnerability to flooding
disasters. The study found that the category with the highest frequency of appearance
was demographic characteristics (58%), followed by socioeconomic status (55%),
health (45%), coping capacity (39%), risk perception (36%), neighborhood
characteristics (30%), and land tenure (30%).

Athira B et.al (2010) Natural Flood Management (NFM) or Working with Natural
Processes (WWNP), as it is also known, to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk
involves implementing measures that help to protect, restore and emulate the natural
functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast. WWNP takes many different
forms and can be applied in urban and rural areas, and on rivers, estuaries and coasts.
Different terminology such as soft engineering, green infrastructure, sustainable
drainage and runoff attenuation may also be used to describe the techniques used.
NFM aims to reduce the maximum water volume of a flood (the peak flood flow) and/or
delay the arrival of the flood peak downstream increasing the time available to prepare
for floods. There are 4 key, underlying mechanisms by which this can be achieved. Inc:

7
 Ahmed S (2011) proposed De- syncronising peak flows from tributaries: Slowing
down one tributary compared to another can significantly reduce flood peaks
downstream. Natural flood management is not the complete solution to flooding but is
one of many tools needed to manage flood events. Used in conjunction with other flood
management solutions, like hard engineering and community resilience measures,
natural flood management can have a beneficial impact on reducing flood risk
downstream. Natural Flood Risk Management is a key part of a catchment-based
approach, reducing the impact of floods and droughts as wellas improving water quality
and biodiversity. These benefits will make catchments more resilient to the impacts of
climate change if we get the ‘design’ right. It may take a decade or more before we start
to see the true benefits NFM. Recently, floods in Assam and other north-eastern states
have caused devastation of life and property, which is an annual problem in the region.
However, floods are not restricted to North-eastern India, rather it affects many other
areas in the country.

Abdul-Ameer (2012) NFM measures work by affecting one or more of these key
mechanisms. The primary aim should be to restore the natural functioning of river
catchments as much as possible, but where natural recovery is not possible, measures
can be used to emulate natural processes to manage flood risk.. Apart from natural
factors like incessant and heavy rainfall during the monsoon, there are man-made
factors that contribute to floods in India. India is highly vulnerable, as most of its
geographical area is prone to annual flooding. The high losses and damages due to
floods show the poor adaptation and mitigation status of India and inadequacy in
disaster management and preparedness. As floods cause major damage to life and
property every year, it is time the central and the state governments prepare a long-term
plan that goes beyond piecemeal measures like building embankments and dredging to
control floods.Also, there is a need for an integrated basin management plan that brings
all the river-basin sharing countries as well Indian states on board.

8
 Jean joy et al (2018) formulated a new method for flood mapping, while remote
sensing technology and flood modelling methods are irrelevant due to unavailability of
data. By taking Meloor Panchayat, Kerala as study area we have designed a
methodology for calculating the flood inundated area using GIS and PGIS technologies.
This research paved the way to found the flood inundated area and the preparation of
the map. Due to the low 30 M resolution, small barriers like roads and manmade
structures won’t count and this will cause scenarios of low flood height, SRTM DEM
could cause disparities while flood mapping with this technique.

David Fernandez (2013) has formulated creating temporary storage which will fill
up during a flood event and empty slowly (e.g. reconnecting functioning floodplains and
creating storage ponds) 6. Increasing catchment and channel roughness: this ‘slows the
flow’ by increasing the resistance to surface and in-channel water flow (e.g. planting
trees and hedgerows, restoring meandering rivers and installing leaky dams) 7.
Increasing losses: this increases the amount of water that drains (infiltrates) into the
ground or is lost back into the atmosphere via evapotranspiration (e.g. changing
agricultural practices to improve soils structure and reduce soil compaction and
installing sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)

Sole-(2008) has discovered- risk maps using geographical information systems

(GIS) and multi-criteria analysis along with the application of Analytical Hierarchy
Process methods to define and quantify the optimal selection of weights for the criteria
that contribute to flood risk.

Daniela Rincón (2017) is proposed this study to apply and test the proposed
method. It is located in the Don River watershed in Ontario, Canada. Flood risk
assessment using the GIS-based multi-criteria methodology is a relatively new
approach, and only a few studies have implemented it. The results of the study show
that for flood hazard mapping, only the criteria of distance to streams, slope, height
above the nearest drainage, and CN are enough to obtain reliable maps. However, if
9
the precipitation data is included, it is better to use the effective precipitation rather than
using the total precipitation.

Berkat and Fitriana (2019) proposed the study to determine the level of prone
area to flood disaster in Semarang by integrating the Geographic Information System
(GIS) and remote sensing data including soil type, slope, rainfall data from the imaging
satellite Himawari 8, land cover using Landsat 8 OLI, and observation data of
catastrophic events in the last five years. The results obtained showed the prone area in
Semarang was 44.25% and 8.18% in conditions of very prone, and 47.54% were in the
condition of not prone to quite prone. The analysis of flood-prone zones in Semarang
uses five parameters, namely rainfall, land cover, soil type, slopes, and flood. Near real
time food inundation mapping using social media data as an information source.

Dhivya Karmegam et al (2016) discovered the data regarding water extent and
inundation will not be available as the traditional data collection methods fail during
disasters. Change in climate, urbanization and other human activities across the globe
disturbs the hydrological cycle and cause various water related issues like water
pollution, foods, droughts, etc., Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), which is located at
the state of Tamil Nadu in India. GCC is divided in to fifteen zones, which is further
subdivided into 200 wards. Chennai city receives almost 60% of the annual rainfall
during north east monsoon period (from October to December). Due to fat topography,
some localities in Chennai deal with the problem of poor drainage during monsoons.

Anil K. Gupta and Sreeja S. Nair-2015 from the technical report of a national
level study accomplished in India covering 8 important cities – Bangalore, Bhopal,
Chennai, Kolkata. Chennai, a coastal mega-city is fourth largest metropolis in India, has
a history of over 350 years of growth.Meteorologically there is no major upward or
downward trend of rainfall during 200 years, and a decrease in last 20 years with a
contrast record of increasing floods have been experienced.

10
 J. Punithavathi et al-2016 presented the flood zone mapping was carried out in
GIS. I have taken into Thanjavur district and Tamil Nadu.There are two types of
monsoon is available in this area. Mainly for North East monsoon and South West
monsoon area. North East monsoon is mostly affected in this area mainly for the month
of November and December. An assessment in required to evaluate the flood prone
areas. The toposheets on 1:50000 scale used along with auxiliary data to access and
map the flood zones in Thanjavur district. Undoubtedly, there will be needed a huge
fund to fulfill the suggestions, yet to check the suffering and wastage of money every
year, there will be no way out except to adhere to these measures.

C. M. Noor Mansoor and L. Mahesh Bilwa (2015) presented the study, an

attempt has been made to delineate flood hazard prone areas in the Bennihalla basin,
Gadag and Dharwad district of Karnataka, using Geoinformatics technology. It is
concluded that the Geoinformatics technology is very resourceful and useful tool for the
flood hazard zonation mapping. This study was carried out with the aim of creating a
flood hazard zonation map along the Bennihalla river basin, where it passes through the
Gadag and Dharwad districts of Karnataka .The primary purpose of producing these
kinds of maps is for public dissemination of flood maps which will serve to increase
public awareness.

Lavanya-2016 presented Chennai Urban Flood are witnessing devastating floods

more often due to heavy rainfall, cyclones, etc.. Though Tamil Nadu is not under flood
risk prone zone as mapped by meteorological department (New Delhi), within the local
body there are few low-lying areas which are susceptible to inundation which also
depends mainly on the developments near major drainage systems, encroachment of
water bodies, inability of major canals to carry heavy rains, overflowing reservoirs.
Chennai, one of the fast growing metros is likely affected by the lack of drainage mainly
due to uncontrolled developments of concrete spaces, encroachment of major drainage
channels, shrinking of marshlands,. The paper discusses causative factors responsible
for flood risks in Chennai, the immediate need for proper flood risk reduction and
management strategies.
11
 CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY

Field study

Collection of primary and secondary data source

Field study
s

Geo spacial data bases and its conditioning

factors

Literature survey

Investigating the characteristics of flooding and its

potential impacts

Flood susceptibility maps

Conclusion

Fig 3.1 Methodology

12
3.1 FLOODING IN CHENNAI
Chennai Flooding 2015 Chennai is highly sensitized to flooding and is a rapidly
developing city in the Indian LECZ36. Every five to ten years large fluvial floods occur in
Chennai and because of the low frequency, flood management plans or mitigation
measures are less prioritized. However, even the slightest rainfall leads to substantial
flooding of roads and streets across the city. This is despite Tamil Nadu being the first
state in the country to implement mandatory rainwater harvesting techniques at every
individual plots across the state37. Inadequate drains, deficient capacity of drains,
blockages, encroachments of flood plains are the most common reasons for flooding in
Chennai. The primary way of dealing urban floods in Chennai is through improving
Storm Water Drain System (SWDS) and reviving the ery system36. CMA receives an
average annual rainfall of 1100 mm (700 mm rainfall during northeast monsoon and 400
mm rainfall during southwest monsoon)35. In November 2015, the south-eastern coast
of India was hit by a deep tropical depression through the Bay of Bengal causing heavy
rain and floods. Chennai witnessed the heaviest rainfall in the last 100 years causing
massive flooding across the city and resulting in disruption of normal life. The first spell
of intense rain was between 8-9 November C. Faiz Ahmed and Natraj Kranthi Vol 11 (6)
| February 2018 Indian Journal of Science and Technology 3 2015; minor floods across
the city were observed. This was followed by the second spell of intense rainfall
between 15-17 November 2015. The third spell of intense rainfall was between 1-5
December 2015, causing major floods across the city. The rains and subsequent
overflow of Chembarapakkam, Pondi and Puzhal lakes, River Coocum, River Adyar and
Buckingham Canal, within the city caused severe flooding and a significant damage to
the inhabitants, existing built fabric and infrastructure of the city. Following this, the
Government of India declared Chennai, a National Disaster zone. Road and rail access
was cut off in several parts of the city. The runways at Chennai airport were flooded and
remained closed for three days, severely hampering the day-to-day activities. The
rescue and relief operations were stranded leaving the affected people unattended.
Decadal rainfall data reveal the consistent recurrence of major floods in Chennai. The
13
city had witnessed major floods in 1943, 1976, 1985, 1996, 200535 and the recent one
in 2015. 2.3 Overlapping Competencies Chennai is a highly sensitized city in Indian
LECZ to flooding due to the Tsunami and massive flooding in 2004 and 2005
respectively. The state government agencies retain the management of urban affairs
(including the flood management). Apart from the local government, a number of other
agencies or departments are also involved in planning and management of urban
services. Chennai’s flood management is split across six government departments
viz.1. Public Works Department (PWD), 2. Water Resource Department, 3. Corporation
of Chennai - Storm Water Drainage Department (SWDD), 4. Corporation of Chennai
(Zonal Office), 5. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and 6. Chennai
Metropolitan Sewerage and Water Supply Board (CMWSSB) – Sewerage Department
and Water Supply Department36. Effective planning and management of floods are
practically challenged by overlapping competencies and clash of authorities

3.2 Mitigation Strategies:

Improving Drainage Systems: The existing drainage systems should be improved
by clearing the clogged drains and channels, constructing new drains, and providing
proper maintenance. Improving drainage systems is a crucial step in mitigating the
effects of flooding in urban areas. This can be achieved by clearing clogged drains and
channels, constructing new drains, providing proper maintenance, constructing retention
ponds, implementing green infrastructure, and advanced technologies.

These strategies can reduce the risk of floods and ensure the safety of people and their
property. Improving drainage systems is a complex process that requires the
cooperation of various stakeholders such as government agencies, private
organizations, and citizens. The implementation of these strategies can go a long way in
mitigating the effects of floods and ensuring the safety of people and their property in
urban areas.

14
Encroachment Removal: The encroachments on water bodies should be removed to
allow for free flow of water during floods. Encroachment removal is a challenging
process that requires the cooperation of various stakeholders such as government
agencies, private organizations, and citizens. The implementation of these strategies
can go a long way in mitigating the effects of floods and ensuring the safety of people
and their property in urban areas. Green Infrastructure: Green infrastructure such as
rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs should be implemented to reduce the amount
of stormwater runoff.

Green infrastructure can provide numerous benefits, including reduced flood risk,
improved air and water quality, enhanced biodiversity, and improved aesthetic values.
The implementation of green infrastructure requires the cooperation of various
stakeholders such as government agencies, private organizations, and citizens. The
use of green infrastructure can go a long way in mitigating the effects of urbanization
and improving the quality of life in urban areas.

Land Use Planning: Proper land use planning should be done to ensure that new
constructions are not located in flood-prone areas. Land use planning is the process of
allocating land to various uses based on their suitability, feasibility, and compatibility
with the environment and community needs. Land use planning involves a systematic
approach to assessing the current land use patterns, identifying potential land use
changes, and developing policies and regulations to guide future land use decisions.

Flood Warning System: A flood warning system should be implemented to alert the
residents of flood-prone areas in advance. A flood warning system is a mechanism that
provides information about impending floods to communities, government agencies, and
other stakeholders in a timely and effective manner. The system is designed to monitor
various factors that can contribute to flooding, such as rainfall intensity, river and stream
levels, and coastal tides, and issue warnings when conditions are likely to result in
flooding. The Case of Depleted Water Bodies Since 1970, more than one-fifth area of

15
the water bodies within the CMA limits has been reduced. NDWI results derived out of
Landsat-8 OLI (October 14, 2015) detected a reduction in the area of the water bodies
i.e. from 267 sq.km to 56 sq.km35 as shown in Figure 3. As pointed out by 36, these
‘naturally low lying areas’ instead of acting as flood sink, pose a greater risk due to
urban development. Comprehensive flood management could be worked out by re-
inventing the depleted urban water bodies47. 4.3 Mapping of the Flood Prone Areas
Mapping of the flood prone areas is a primary step involved in reducing the risk of the
region. For this purpose, a modified version48 was adopted for demarcating the flood
prone areas. A historical record of DEM data i.e. watershed areas extracted from
CartoDEM-3 R1 were superimposed with dot density inundation map to identify the
flood prone areas. This has enabled to identify the critical spread of the affected areas
for undertaking vulnerability analysis, flood plain prediction, etc. Further, this can act as
a base for all post flood relief measures and also in turn can have a better control over

16
the post flood works. The basic inundation map was combined with land use, built-fabric
and infrastructure data to form a complete image of the flood plain. Based on the
intensity of inundation and extent of watershed area, flood prone areas were
categorized into:
1. Low Flood Prone (LFP),
2. Medium Flood Prone (MFP)
Mitigation Strategies Mitigation strategies are classified into:
1. Structural measures
2. Non-structural measures.
Structural Measures that constructing short-term protective structures create false
sense of security and have failed historically, long-term urban planning interventions
must be explored. No construction must be permitted in the HFP areas. Also, buildings
in LFP and MFP areas must be constructed with stilts or on raised platforms. In addition
to clearing the encroachment along the river edges, de-silting of River Coocum and
River Adyar must be carried out. Lakes like Chembarapakkam, Poondi
and Puzhal lakes must be improved in terms of capacity and structural safety. Non-
Structural Measures In the demarcated HFP areas, built-up density should be reduced
curtailing further developments. Relocation of residents of HFP areas to alternate safer
sites must be considered. Necessary steps to revive the already depleted water tanks
and water bodies across the CMA must be carried out. Construction of community
facilities in the LFP areas must be encouraged. These facilities can be used as make-
shift places during floods. Reforestation of banks of the River Coocum and River Adyar
must be carried out to reduce the flood damage and increase the retention capacity. In
line with the National Disaster Management Plan 2016, a comprehensive spatially
integrated flood inundation and risk management plan .

17
 Fig 3.2 velachery lake overflow for the year 2015 and 2019.

Governance The Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005, gives the legal authority to the
state to frame policies and prepare Disaster Management and Mitigation Plan (DMMP)
with the help of national disaster management authority. But the mandated role for the
state level authorities is relatively limited. DMA also emphasizes the creation and
updating DMMP to assess disaster risk and to prepare for mitigate, respond to and
recover from disaster. DMMP in Tamil Nadu is not comprehensive enough, as only
mere listing of flood prone areas and contact information during disaster is usually
carried out.

3.3 INTEGERATED GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES

Spatial Data Infrastructure Geospatial data infrastructure technologies must be
integrated with disaster management plan to facilitate informed analysis and decision
making. This can enable sharing and delivery of geospatial data, in advance for
effective pre and post flood measures.

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 Fig 3.3 Chennai Inundated Area for the Year 2015 and 2019

Logah et al., (2017) and Moya Quiroga et al., (2016) Flood inundation mapping
Flood inundation extent and depths corresponding to the baseline and the future flood
scenarios are simulated using the widely and freely available two-dimensional (2D)
hydraulic model, HEC-RAS (USACE, 2016). The hydraulic domain (Fig. 3.2) is
discretized into computational cells of size ∼30 m × 30 m. Since the SRTM data for the
river mouth area is not available, the freely available General Bathymetric Chart of the
Oceans (GEBCO) data is used to fill up the no-data pixels.

The pixels that correspond to buildings (OSM data) are raised to about 5 m from
the existing terrain data in an effort to make the flood hazard zoning. The SRTM data
can be used with confidence for modeling high magnitude infrequent floods if the
purpose of the study is not aligned towards detailed analysis like the design of hydraulic
structures (Yan et al., 2014). The HEC-RAS can solve either 2D diffusive wave
equations or full 2D Saint Venant equations. For the 2015 Chennai flood event, the
computing time for full 2D solution is 4.5 × (CPU time) greater than that of diffusive
wave solution. However, the difference in inundation extents simulated by the two
solution schemes is found to be only 4%.

19
 Therefore, in order to reduce the computation cost, the 2D diffusive ave equation
option is resorted to. The runoff hydrographs obtained from the HEC-HMS are used as
upstream boundary conditions for the HEC-RAS model. The locations and the data
pertaining to the upstream boundary conditions for the baseline scenario are indicated
in Figs. 1 and 7, respectively. The tidal data (Narasimhan et al., 2016) is given as the
downstream boundary condition at the river mouth. Suriya and Mudgal (2012) used
Manning’s n values of 0.025 m−1/3 s for 1976 and 0.03 m−1/3 s for 1985 floods.
However, the 2015 Chennai flood was a result of both fluvial and pluvial flooding.

The urban areas were flooded not only due to overflowing rivers but also due to
lack of efficient drainage of the stormwater. It is thus difficult to separate fluvial and
pluvial flooding extents and calibrate Manning’s n value. Hence, in this study, all the
scenarios are run for the Manning’s n values of 0.025, 0.03, 0.035 and 0.04 m−1/3 s to
take care of the uncertainty associated with the friction coefficient in the simulated
results.

The simulations are run with a stable and convergent time step of 6 s. In order to
validate the baseline simulation, the flood-marks surveyed soon after the 2015 Chennai
flood are used. The computed water depths are used to prepare flood inundation maps
and a threshold water depth of 0.1 m is used to differentiate between dry and wet areas.
From Fig. 9, it can be seen that the range of Manning’s n values chosen for the study
provides almost similar accuracy with respect to the R2 values.

However, the simulations show different inundation patterns for different values
of n. The possible reason for getting similar R2 values may be due to the fact that all the
surveyed points are located close to the Adyar River. Moreover, in the absence of an
observed inundation extent map, a single n value can introduce more uncertainty in the
results. Hence, all the results are reported in the form of a range for different values of n
and scenarios.

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 4.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 GREATER CHENNAI CORPORATION

Fig4.1 Greater Chennai corporation

21
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is the civic body responsible for the
administration of the city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
The GCC is responsible for providing basic amenities such as water supply, sewage,
and waste management, as well as urban planning, road maintenance, and public
health services.The GCC is headed by a Commissioner who is appointed by the Tamil
Nadu state government. The Commissioner is responsible for the overall functioning of
the corporation and is assisted by various departments and officials. The Greater
Chennai Corporation,[1] formerly known as the Corporation of Madras (1688–1996) and
Corporation of Chennai (1996–2016), is the civic body that governs the metropolitan city
of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Inaugurated on 29 September 1688, under
a royal charter issued by King James II of England on 30 December 1687 as the
Corporation of Madras, it is the oldest municipal body of the Commonwealth of Nations
outside Great Britain. It is among the oldest municipalities in Asia after Daman
Municipality, which was established in 1588.[3] It is the largest municipal corporation in
Tamil Nadu with an area of 426 km2. It is headed by a mayor, who presides over 200
councillors, each of whom represents one of the 200 wards of the city.[4] It is the
second oldest civic corporation in the world after the City of London.[5] The city limits,
which had been expanded several times over the years, is currently coterminous with
the Chennai district.

Overall, the Greater Chennai Corporation plays a crucial role in the development and
management of the city of Chennai, and is committed to providing efficient and effective
services to its citizens.

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4.2 SLOPE MAP

Fig 3.3.2 Slope Map

23
 The map of Chennai's slope can be found in various sources online. It is a map
of the city and its surrounding areas showing the elevation of each area. The map
includes contour lines that show the steepness of the terrain in each location. The map
also shows other features such as roads, rivers, parks, and points of interest.

Slope aspect maps are topographic maps that show the orientation and steepness of
slopes in a particular area. The aspect refers to the direction in which a slope faces,
which can affect factors such as solar radiation and snow accumulation. These maps
are commonly used in various fields, such as geography, ecology, and land
management. Slope aspect maps are typically created using geographic information
systems (GIS) software, which can analyze digital elevation models (DEMs) to calculate
the slope and aspect of each location in the area of interest.

The resulting map is color-coded to show the different slope and aspect classes, which
can help users to identify areas with different characteristics, such as north-facing
slopes that are shaded and cooler, or south-facing slopes that receive more sunlight
and are warmer.

Slope aspect maps can be used for a variety of purposes, such as identifying potential
avalanche hazards, predicting vegetation patterns, and planning land use activities.
They are also helpful in understanding the distribution of wildlife species, as different
species may have specific habitat requirements based on slope and aspect conditions.

GIS software can be used to create a slope map of an area, including Chennai. Here
are the general steps to create a slope map using GIS:
Acquire digital elevation data: You can obtain digital elevation data from various sources
such as USGS, ASTER GDEM, or SRTM. These data can be downloaded in raster
format (such as GeoTIFF) and imported into a GIS software.

24
Preprocess the data: Before creating a slope map, you may need to preprocess the
data by removing any noise or artifacts, filling in missing values, and projecting the data
into a suitable coordinate system.

Calculate slope: In GIS software, you can calculate the slope of each cell in the digital
elevation data using a terrain analysis tool such as slope, aspect, or hillshade. Slope is
typically measured in degrees or percent.

Symbolize and visualize the slope map: Once you have calculated the slope values, you
can symbolize the map using a color ramp or gradient to represent different slope
classes, such as flat, gentle, moderate, or steep. You can also add other layers such as
roads, rivers, or buildings to provide context.

Analyze and interpret the results: Finally, you can analyze and interpret the slope map
to understand the topography, terrain features, and potential hazards of the area. For
example, steep slopes may be prone to landslides or erosion, while gentle slopes may
be suitable for agriculture or construction.

25
4.3 DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL

Fig 4.3 Digital Elevation Model

26
 A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a digital representation of the elevation of the
Earth's surface or terrain, typically represented in a raster format where each cell or
pixel represents a unique elevation value. DEMs can be created from a variety of
sources, including remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR (Light Detection and
Ranging), photogrammetry, or radar.

DEM data can be used in various fields such as geography, geology, hydrology,
environmental science, and engineering. Some common applications of DEMs include,
Terrain analysis and visualization. DEM can be used to generate 3D terrain models and
to analyze various terrain features such as slope, aspect, curvature, and flow direction.
Land use planning and management: DEMs can be used to identify suitable sites for
various land uses such as agriculture, forestry, mining, or urban development.
Hydrological modeling and flood mapping: DEMs can be used to model surface water
flow, calculate drainage basins, and generate flood inundation maps. Environmental
monitoring and assessment: DEMs can be used to track changes in terrain features
such as erosion, land subsidence, or glacial retreat.

Navigation and transportation: DEMs can be used to generate accurate elevation

profiles, plan routes, and design transportation infrastructure such as roads, railroads,
or airports.

Overall, DEMs provide a valuable source of information for understanding and

managing the Earth's surface and resources. In hydrology, DEMs are used to model
surface water flow, calculate drainage basins, and generate flood inundation maps. This
information is critical for understanding the distribution of surface water and managing
water resources.

27
4.4 INUNDATED FLOOD LEVELING

Fig 4.4.4 Inundandated flood leveling map

28
Chennai has experienced several devastating floods in the recent past, with the most
severe one occurring in December 2015. During that time, the flood levels in Chennai
reached up to 18 feet in some areas, causing massive destruction of property and loss
of life. The flood levels in Chennai are usually measured by the amount of rainfall the
city receives, which is measured in millimeters (mm) or inches.

However, it's worth noting that flood levels can also be affected by factors such as
drainage systems, topography, and urbanization. If you're looking for specific
information about the flood levels in Chennai during a particular period, it would be
helpful to specify the time frame you're interested in. Chennai has experienced several
instances of inundation in the recent past, with the most severe one occurring in
December 2015, when the city received record-breaking rainfall.

During this period, many areas in the city were inundated, and the floodwaters
disrupted normal life for several days.The Chennai Corporation and other government
agencies have taken measures to mitigate the risk of inundation in the city, including
improving drainage systems and clearing of encroachments in waterways. However, it's
important for residents to also take necessary precautions during periods of heavy
rainfall and follow instructions from authorities to stay safe.

A new, crowd sourced flood map of Chennai shows that among over 250 localities in
Chennai, which saw intensive flooding during the November rains this year, many
neighbourhoods were unusually flooded. This includes neighbourhoods such as T
Nagar, Alwarpet, Egmore which have remained unaffected by monsoons in the previous
years, barring the 2015 Chennai floods.

29
Fig 3.3.5 Inundated area of greater Chennai based on divisions

30
.
The state authorities tried to control the situation by bringing out motor pumps to clear
waterlogged areas and sending its relief teams to flood-affected neighbourhoods. But as
sea levels rise and heat waves intensify, experts say the city will need to do a lot more
to mitigate the impact of extreme weather conditions in the future and to avoid a repeat
of the deadly floods in 2015."The fact that water entered people's homes at the very
beginning of the monsoon season shows just how unprepared Chennai is this time,"
says SA Haris Sultan, a member of anti-corruption watchdog Arappor Iyakkam based in
the city.

To prepare for the monsoon season this year, the local government carried out an
ambitious project to build storm water drains - which would collect excess rains from the
streets and drain them into the sea. But within three days of heavy rains in the first week
of November, the city was entirely flooded, bringing life to a standstill. Climate scientist
Dr Roxy Mathew Koll says the city faltered in dealing with the situation because of the
increasingly erratic nature of monsoons.

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 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION
The study on urban Chennai flooding using geospatial technology identified the
major reasons for flooding and suggested mitigation strategies. The strategies proposed
can be implemented by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to mitigate the effects
of flooding and ensure the safety of the citizens. The use of geospatial technology
proved to be effective in identifying flood-prone areas and can be used for similar
studies in other cities prone to flooding. Some possible conclusions based on the use of
these technologies are: Accurate mapping such as GIS, remote sensing, and LiDAR
can help in accurate mapping of flood-prone areas, vulnerable infrastructure, and critical
facilities. This can help in identifying high-risk areas and formulating appropriate
mitigation measures.Geospatial technologies can be used to develop an early warning
system for floods. Real-time data from sensors, satellite imagery, and weather forecasts
can be integrated to predict flood events and issue timely alerts to the public and
authorities. Geospatial technologies can aid in effective drainage management by
mapping the existing drainage system, identifying blockages, and suggesting measures
to improve the system's efficiency. This can help in reducing flood damage by ensuring
timely and effective drainage. Geospatial technologies can help in developing flood
models that can simulate various flood scenarios and help in developing strategies to
mitigate the impact of floods. Overall, the use of geospatial technologies can be
instrumental in mitigating the impact of floods in urban Chennai. However, it is essential
to have a comprehensive approach that involves stakeholder engagement, capacity
building, and a robust governance framework to ensure the effective implementation of
these technologies.

32
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