Zonal level teams to monitor 210 waterbodies
In a move to maintain the restored waterbodies in the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to constitute zonal level teams to monitor the waterbodies periodically.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-12-14 19:59 GMT
Chennai
The zonal teams would take measures to prevent encroachments and inflow of sewage, and the teams will comprise of an assistant engineer, a sanitary inspector and others. Meanwhile, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani tweeted that the zonal level monitoring teams would also take measures to create facilities including pavements and lights. “The Chennai Corporation had completed 80 per cent of waterbodies restoration works and the remaining works would be completed in January 2020,” he said.
According to a Chennai Corporation senior officer, the civic body had taken up the restoration of as many as 210 water bodies within the city limits that include temple ponds and minor lakes. “Of the total of 210 waterbodies within city limits identified for restoration, desilting has been completed in more than 130 waterbodies,” he said. The water bodies are being restored with the Smart City Funds as well as funds sourced from private companies under corporate social responsibility initiative. Some non-governmental organisations are also roped in to restore the waterbodies. Apart from restoring the existing waterbodies, the civic body has taken steps to conduct waterbody census in the city to identify encroachments.
“We are also contemplating to involve members of resident welfare associations to ensure community partnership. If the residents take ownership of the restore waterbodies, they will not allow miscreants to damage the waterbodies,” an engineer said.
PWD, NGO inspect Adyar river restoration works
The ongoing restoration work of the Adyar river was inspected by officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT) and Greater Chennai Corporation on Saturday. The third phase of the eco-restoring of the Adyar river, that started in October is expected to be completed by December next year.
The entire stretch of the Adyar river from Adhanur Lake to the Adyar eco-park was inspected by the member secretary of CRRT and other officials from PWD. Currently, the sewage management, riverfront improvement and channel improvement are being led by PWD, while the diversion works, and desilting works are also being undertaken.
As part of the third phase of the eco-restoration, the soil is being removed from the riverbed and a new sewage system facility for the households in the vicinity is being planned that will have a common collection system near Dhinakaran Salai.
Officials from the Public Works Department said that a flood protection wall will also be constructed near Thiruneermalai town panchayat, after the bio-mining, desilting and fencing works are completed. The desilting of the river near the origin of the river near the Thiruneermalai town panchayat is being done as planned and the works will be completed within the expected time frame.
The desilting works at Manapakkam, Jafferkhanpet and Alandur Bridge are also planned and expected to start by next year. As per the project plans, the Burma Colony slum eviction will also be undertaken.
As part of phase two of the eco-restoration project, the excavation of debris and sludge has been completed at the estuary, while the construction of compound wall along the stretch of the estuary has been completed to a length of 512 meters covering Foreshore Estate Loop Road and Santhome High Road up to Quibble Cemetery.
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