Relaying 4K roads, SWD projects top GCC Budget plans
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday announced more funding and schemes to enhance the civic infrastructure and promised quality roads and storm water drains for ‘Singara Chennai’. The DMK-ruled city corporation also brought back its previous scheme of Makkal Thedi Managaratchi with a new name ‘Makkalai Thedi Mayor’.
In the budget for 2023-24, the Chennai corporation announced more than Rs 881 crore under three projects – Singara Chennai 2.0, Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund (TURIF) project and Urban Road development scheme. Another major share of the money was earmarked for the construction of new storm water drains at a cost of Rs 1,482 crore. Solid waste management and cleaning works get another Rs 260.52 crore.
As per the announcement, more than 4,000 bus route roads (BRR) and interior roads will be re-laid. “Under the Singara Chennai 2.0 project, as many as 452 bus routes and interior roads, covering 78.01 km, will be repaired at an estimated Rs 55.61 crore. Similarly, 1,335 roads will be re-laid at a cost of Rs 149.55 crore under the TURIF project,” Mayor R Priya said.
The civic body will spend Rs 327.63 crore under the urban road development scheme and repair 2,687 BRR and interior roads to a length of 425.51 km. Under the
road development works, bollards will be placed to prevent encroachment and vehicle parking on footpaths. Further, 10,939 roads will be repaired and spruced up with new name boards and if required the name boards will be converted into digital boards, the mayor said.
The mayor also announced the participation of Corporation under the Namakku Naame Thittam scheme initiated by the state government. The government maternity hospital in Egmore will get 100 beds and a canteen for young mothers. The incubator care will also be enhanced using the corpus under Kalaignar Memorial International Marathon Institute and National Urban Livelihood Mission at an estimated cost of Rs.5.89 crore.
CHENNAI: As per the budget documents, the Chennai corporation has allocated Rs 2,000 crore for constructing storm water drain (SWD) in the city.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and German Development Bank (KfW), the new drains will come be constructed in Kosasthalaiyar and Kovalam river basins.
The State government had allocated Rs 3,220 crore for SWD works in Kosasthalaiyar river in the expanded areas of zones 1-3 and some areas in zone 6-8. The GCC has completed the work in 394 km at a cost of Rs 1,332 crore.
“With more funding from ADB, the new SWD work will be carried out in 46 packages at around Rs 1,000 crore,” said Mayor R Priya on Monday. “This project would benefit at least 30 lakh people living in areas like Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, and Ambattur.”
Similarly, the SWD works will be constructed in the Kovalam river basin with funding from KfW at an estimated cost of Rs 1,714 crore. Integrated SWD works in Nanganallur, Puzhuthivakkam, Perungudi, Madipakkam, and Shollinganallur are underway. The extension of these works will be carried out in 12 packages.
Under the first phase, projects worth Rs 597 crore are underway. The second phase will cover 122.86 km. A total of Rs 665.03 crore will be allocated for the integrated SWD. “The work will be carried out after the approval by the Coastal Regulatory Authority,” she added.
The corporation will also receive Rs 232 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund, which will also be used to construct drains in flood prone areas within core city of Chennai, the budget copy read.