CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation has come up with a revised plan to keep the Marina beach clean by engaging 120 sanitary workers to exclusively maintain the 4.7 km stretch from Napier’s Bridge to Light House.
A resolution to this effect was adopted by the Corporation council on Monday. Ineffective maintenance by the previous contractor (Ramky Group) prompted the move, said Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy.
“Poor maintenance has dragged the Chennai Corporation into litigation with the National Green Tribunal besides prompting newspapers to publish critical reports,” the resolution read.
In the revised plan, the stretch has been divided into three categories — beach sand, river mouth and shoreline area, service lane area and footpath area. Each category has been further subdivided and will be maintained by 78, 24 and 18 sanitary workers respectively, bringing the total number to 120. The workers would get wages as per Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana scheme costing the Corporation `1.29 crore. As many as 40 workers put in place by Ramky would be replaced.
The Corporation also announced that Chennai has been selected for the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Centennial Challenge, a $100 million initiative to build urban resilience in world cities promoted by the Rockefeller Foundation (RF). With promised supply of ‘significant resources’ to the civic body, RF would share its expertise and help leverage funds from private sectors predominantly. As a member of the 100RC Network, it would gain knowledge of successful resilience models implemented world over.
However, the civic body’s resilience plan would be on combating challenges of aging infrastructure, flooding during rains, cyclonic calamities, overpopulation and pollution.
Further, the council adopted a resolution seeking to widen the Valluvar Kottam High Road, Kodambakkam High Road and Avvai Nagar Main Road. Of these, widening of Valluvar Kottam and Kodambakkam High Roads becomes essential if the elevated expressway from Valluvar Kottam to Ega Theatre junction is to materialise.
The mayor, however, expressed helplessness at the delay encountered in road widening projects after councillors demanded an explanation. “Road widening projects can only be undertaken after the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority issues clearance. Besides, the surveying work can take up to a year-and-a-half to complete. So, it is a time consuming process which we can’t do much about,” said Duraisamy.
When DMK councillors raised the issue of several road projects not being taken up or remaining incomplete, Duraisamy assured that all road laying and repair works would be completed by April 2015.