Corpn bars utilities from digging up re-laid roads for a year

CHENNAI: After finding itself caught in the line of fire over the poor condition of roads, the Greater Chennai Corporation has barred service departments not to dig up roads that are being re-laid now. The restraint is applicable to all 600 bus route and interior roads that are being re-laid under the Singara Chennai 2.0 project and Tamil Nadu Urban Roads Infrastructure (TURIF) programme.

A senior official told DT Next that the civic body would undertake regular inspections to ensure the re-laid roads were not damaged; if they find any, it would be rectified immediately.

“We have instructed the service departments like Tangedco and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) not to dig up the road for a minimum of one year unless there is any emergency,” a senior official with Chennai Corporation told DT Next.

If the service departments want to carry out any work due to emergency situations, they should obtain permission from the Corporation authorities before starting the work, he said.

The civic body is repairing and re-laying about 600 roads, including 25 bus route roads. The works are spread across all 15 zones, where 25-30 roads are being re-laid in each zone. In all, work orders have been issued to re-lay 1,700 roads, of which one-third is over.

To ensure that the re-laid roads last longer, the officials are monitoring the works regularly and enforcing quality control measures, he said. According to him, newly laid roads get damaged when the work is done without any supervision. “The officials make sure that such incidents are avoided during re-laying of roads,” he said.

In 2022-23 financial year, the Corporation commenced works to lay and repair 3,000 bus route and interior roads an at estimated cost of Rs 367.85 crore. The funding came from Singara Chennai 2.0 project, TURIF programme, Corporation’s own capital fund and external resources schemes, and Urban Road Development Plan 1. Under Road Development Plan 2, the civic body is planning to take up works on 917 roads across the city at a cost of Rs 97.56 crore.