‘Infra woes a big challenge for city’s expansion’
CHENNAI : Infrastructure woes like lack of sewer network, water supply, street lights and road network could be the biggest challenges as Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) emerges as the second largest city in India after Delhi with the expansion of city limits to 8,878 sq.km, according to a study by Mylapore Institute for Policy research (MIPR), an urban policy think tank launched with the support of India Cements.
The report prepared after conducting interviews with planners, administrators and industrialists as well as RTI data states that 92.5 per cent households in certain areas which will be amalgamated with city under the expansion programme do not have adequate sewerage network.The study also states that 20 out of 26 municipalities and town panchayats have no underground sewerage, and drainage infrastructure is being used to discharge sewage to the nearest open area.
It also points out that collection of sewage water of the entire IT corridor is managed by private lorries. “The water has to be taken to sewage treatment plant for primary and secondary treatment, but the water contractor empties it in marshlands or Buckingham Canal after primary treatment,” the study says.
It also highlights that three technology parks housing software companies on Old Mahabalipuram Road in IT corridor lack sewerage connection and sewage is often pumped out by using lorries.
The drainage facilities in middle-class localities at Chromepet, West Tambaram, Selaiyur, Tambaram and Chitalapakam in Kancheepuram district do not work well and in other locations the sewerage network is yet to be built.
The study also states that roads per square kilometre varies widely from 19.1 for Chennai to 0.2 in Pallipattu sub-district in Thiruvallur.Post-expansion of CMA, basic infrastructure should be developed first in growth centres before building permission is given by CMDA. According to the report, Chennai should explore the concept of ‘Tender S.U.R.E’ (Specification for Urban roads Execution), which is implemented in Bengaluru. “This could solve the problem of constant digging of roads by multiple agencies while providing good quality and safe roads,” the study said.