CHENNAI: Delay in shipment of pipelines for over two months has hit the underground sewerage works carried out by Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) in various parts of the city.
While the work is being carried out in places including Nerkundram, Manapakkam and Karapakkam, the pipes to be laid that are mostly procured from Electrosteel Castings, was delayed for over two months and the shipment was received only on Saturday, according to metro water officials. "We will resume work now and complete it as soon as possible," said a metro water official.
The delay has irked the public in places like Nerkundram where the busy road linking Nerkundram with Poonamallee High Road and Kaliamman Kovil Street was dug up around eight months back.
However, the order of cast iron pipes that was placed by CMWSSB was delayed by three months, leaving them unable to carry on with the work. The cast iron and ductile iron pipes were to carry sewage and is the main component of the project.
The reason for the delay, according to senior officials, was due to a strike in the manufacturing company. Another is that after the lockdown, they have not resumed 100 per cent production, they said. However the shipments have started coming in now.
With the price of steel having shot up recently, infrastructure projects across the State have been hampered, according to government contractor K Venkatesan. "In the last 20-25 days, the price of steel has gone up by around Rs 15,000 per tonne. The prices are now comparable to the prices six months back when it had shot up," said Venkatesan.
"The situation has returned again and all infrastructure projects in the State have been affected because the usage of steel is a necessity across several industries," he added.