disadvantages. The groundwater potential along the shore was significant, and because the majority of the population relied on groundwater, it was advantageous to the locals. The sandy nature of Chennai's coastline encourages precipitation to percolate into the earth, hence raising groundwater levels. Many developers were drawn by the potential groundwater, and much of the development in terms of building construction has occurred along the shore for up to 30 to 40 kilometres. As a result of overdevelopment and overexploitation of groundwater, the situation quickly deteriorated. The cause for natural rainfall percolation was quickly discovered to be interrupted by building development. Residential areas were constructed in low-lying locations where natural drainage systems gathered water. The builders who built these locations paved over the setback areas as well, preventing water from percolating into the soil or ground and reaching the groundwater table. Rainwater was instead diverted towards the streets, which were all similarly paved, resulting in waterlogging and flooding. Simultaneously, when groundwater is depleted at such a rapid rate, saltwater seawater is ready to take its place. The hazard was not anticipated by the creators.
Figure 2 Urban area expansion of Chennai. Source: Vijayan, Prem (2017): Care Earth trust. A touch of green.
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