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Madurai: A road linking two of Madurai’s busiest transport hubs is set for a ₹10.53-crore drainage overhaul after years of flooding following even short spells of rain. The 12-month project is intended to replace that temporary dependence with a continuous drainage route capable of moving runoff from the railway station area to Kiruthumal channel. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Madurai | Silver Rate in Madurai | Bank Holidays in Madurai | Public Holidays in Madurai | Madurai AQI | Weather in Madurai | Petrol Price in Madurai | Diesel Price in Madurai | CNG Price in Madurai | LPG Price in Madurai Stay updated with the latest Madurai news.
“The situation gets even worse when heavy rain falls, especially overnight,” said Ramraj, a Madurai resident. A senior corporation official said, “Roads and footpaths disturbed during construction will be restored, while new silt pits, catch pits and gratings are planned to prevent debris from choking the upgraded drains. Shopkeepers on adjoining South Masi Street said flooding also diverts vehicles onto already crowded commercial roads, where parked goods carriers compound congestion and affect customer access. The official also said, “Routine desilting had helped the existing system handle shorter showers, but prolonged rain continued to expose its limited pumping and discharge capacity.
The stretch between Madurai Railway Junction and Periyar Bus Stand frequently remains inundated for hours, disrupting access to trains, buses and businesses in the surrounding commercial district. Residents say the problem becomes acute during overnight downpours, when passengers arriving with luggage often struggle to cross flooded portions of the road. Routine desilting and clearing of blockages in the open drains around the area greatly contribute to reducing the impact”. Download the TOI App.
Stormwater will be pumped through three parallel 600mm pipelines, each running about 200 metres, to a newly constructed discharge chamber near Daily Thanthi office. From there, water will move by gravity through a rebuilt drain along Powerhouse Road before entering Kiruthumal channel, where another 1.61km stretch will be desilted. The intervention covers a 0.652-square-kilometre catchment generating an estimated peak runoff of 3.9 cubic metres per second, according to the project’s hydraulic assessment. Engineers have designed the network for rainfall intensity of 65.61mm an hour, incorporating a 20% climate-change allowance and the five-year storm standard prescribed for Class-I cities.
The problem lies partly underground, where runoff from West Veli Street and areas north of Periyar Bus Stand converges before being lifted towards Kiruthumal channel. At present, an old pumping station uses two 15HP submersible pumps to push stormwater through a 300mm pipeline towards the outfall near Ashok Bhavan. The pumps lack sufficient capacity, while silted drains further slow discharge, leaving roads around the bus stand waterlogged for prolonged periods. The drainage link was further disrupted following construction of the railway pedestrian subway, prompting the corporation to redesign the system rather than merely clear the existing network.
Another earlier arrangement, which carried runoff opposite the railway station towards Perumal Kovil Teppakulam through a 450mm pipeline, has also become heavily silted.
Under the KfW-assisted project, about 712 metres of drains will be newly constructed or replaced, while another 2.33km of the existing network will be desilted. At the heart of the upgrade will be a new pumping station near TELC Holy Redeemer’s Church, equipped with six 60HP pumps, replacing dependence on the smaller existing installation.