CHENNAI: A slew of announcements of newer projects in stormwater drains, bridges and assurance to implementation of projects announced by previous governments was Chennai’s take away in the budget 2021.
Despite the State reeling under financial stress due to pandemic, the DMK’s announcements and commitment to fast-track projects for Chennai also gain significance as the party won all the 16 Assembly constituencies here. Under this project, the city would also be wall poster-free.
Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan announced that DMK’s pet project ‘Singara Chennai’ will be taken up at a cost of Rs 500 crores. As much as Rs 2,350 crores were announced for Smart City projects and Rs 1,450 crores for Amrut Scheme. The project, he said, would focus on a clean and green city with every household receiving water connection.
He has also announced the implementation of integrated stormwater drain projects in the Kosasthalaiyar River at a cost of Rs 87 crores. The project would reduce flooding in north Chennai areas mainly Tiruvottiyur, Manali, and Madhavaram. Chennai Corporation officials said the works for this stormwater drain project would begin before monsoon season.
“Recently, we had held meetings to fast-track the project and the budgets were revised accordingly,” said a Corporation official. The construction of three flyovers will be taken up by the bridges department of Chennai Corporation at a cost of Rs 335 crores. Finance Minister PTR announced that the bridges will be built at South Usman road in T Nagar, near Ganeshapuram Subway and Konnur High road Strathans Road.
Officials with the bridges department said that the flyovers are built mainly to decongest the localities in evening times. “Traffic here lasts for hours in the evenings during peak hours. We would look to complete these projects by 2022 end at the maximum,” said an official.
Rajan also announced Rs 2,056 crores for an underground sewage system for all added areas of Chennai such as Ambattur, Tiruvottiyur, and parts of Sholinganallur, while another Rs 2,371 crore have been allotted for preventing overflow of sewage into waterways. Meanwhile, a feasibility report to transport Krishna water from Andhra to Chennai is also on the cards.