COIMBATORE: The development work undertaken in Sanganur stream by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has come to halt due to various reasons, including delay in relocating people from the banks.
The first phase of the project, which is being carried out at a cost of Rs 49 crore, was launched by chief minister MK Stalin in November 2021. According to sources, the 11- km Sanganur stream, which flows through the city, has been dry for several decades and the developmental works for the stream were planned to be carried out in two phases.
In the first phase, the civic body would be rejuvenating the canal for the first 2.2 km from the Mettupalayam Road to Sathyamangalam Road at a cost of `49 crore. In the second phase, the next stretch of 1 km would be revamped at a cost of Rs 30.3 crore.
“Based on the development works carried out for the 3.3 km stretch of the canal in both phases at the cost of Rs 79.3 crore, the government would plan and move on to the next phase of dredging and development,” sources said.
As part of the development works, the civic body will build gabion walls on both sides of the canal, strengthen the bunds with reinforced concrete walls, lay pathways for pedestrians and pave roads on one side of the stream. But the works remain suspended. A project officer told TNIE that the first phase of the project was scheduled to be completed in 18 months, but as of now, only about 5 to 10% of the works have been completed, where gabion walls have been constructed for the first 200 metres.
CCMC Commissioner M Prathap told TNIE that town planning department officials have identified 2,500 families who have encroached upon the bank of the canal and built houses.
“Once the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board allots houses for them, they shall be evicted and the works will be resumed. Also, the PWD officials need to demolish the large check dams built on the stream at its starting place in order to allow free flow of water,” he added.