CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has pushed back a proposal from the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department which suggested making prior permission from the civic body not mandatory for initiating road cuts for drainage and water supply work.
Official sources said the proposal was put forth to enable the Chennai Metro Water and Sewerage Board to take up certain projects after simply intimating the civic body beforehand of road cuts and not having to wait for its approval, thereby avoiding delays. However, the corporation has now sent an objection note, stating that it would be best if the existing system was followed for road cut permissions.
“Following a discussion, the department officials took note of our concerns and agreed with our view to continue with the existing system of approvals,” said a senior corporation official. Sources said that the concerns with the proposed system included difficulty in keeping track of dug-up roads, resulting in issues, especially during monsoon.
In the existing system, a review meeting is chaired by the Deputy Commissioner (Works) with CMWSSB, telecom firms and gas distribution firms every Tuesday where permissions for road cuts are considered.
Meanwhile, Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru chaired a review meeting of developmental works with the heads of all corporations, municipalities and town panchayats in the state on Monday. Nehru said that under the GCC, as many as 9,643 road works have been completed, with 595 works underway and another 528 proposed, which are scheduled for completion by the end of August. Ahead of the monsoon, work on lakes and ponds has been initiated by the Water Resources Department.
Speaking on flood prevention measures, the minister said that as far as the city corporation is concerned, stormwater drains are designed to handle an average rainfall of 20 cm, but cloud bursts during monsoon might pose challenges. He added that 95% of the stormwater drains within the corporation limits have been desilted, with the remaining work expected to finish within the next 15 days.