Chennai to get solar-powered traffic signals soon
“Local area plans will be prepared for Anna Salai and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), and urban design guidelines will be unveiled for the metropolitan area”
Representative image
CHENNAI: Major traffic signals across Chennai will soon be powered by solar energy under a project to be implemented at Rs 5 crore, said Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department minister PK Sekarbabu, who is also the chairman of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).
Announcing this in the assembly on Friday, Sekarbabu further informed that 10 pedestrian subways, including those near Beach railway station, central railway station, Guindy station, and at Thousands Lights station and DMS will be improved at a cost of Rs 8 crore.
“The Marina Heritage Corridor will be created at Rs 10 crore between Light House and Island Grounds. As many as 10 public libraries will be converted into e-learning and co-working spaces at Rs 20 crore. In addition to these, a flood control map for Chennai Metropolitan Area will be designed to tackle emergencies,” he announced.
The planning authority would renovate the wholesale market complex at Koyambedu apart from improving the eco-park at Chetpet, redeveloping Avadi, Padianallur, and T Nagar bus stands, and restoring Porur and Perungudi lakes. “Local area plans will be prepared for Anna Salai and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), and urban design guidelines will be unveiled for the metropolitan area,” the announcement said.
Responding to MLAs, Sekarbabu said that the Kilambakkam bus stand was functioning well and around 75,000 were using the facility on normal days and one lakh used the bus stand during festival time. “So, there is no need to shift the bus stand back to Koyambedu,” he said.
Meanwhile, state housing and urban development department and prohibition department minister S Muthusamy announced the relaxation for obtaining completion certificates for buildings that were less than 300 sqm of area and less than 14 metres in height. Also, the department would introduce a parking policy for Chennai and M Plan - Transportation Planning course in the School of Architecture and Planning at Anna University.
TM Anbarasan, minister for micro, small, and medium enterprises and Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) announced that sports coaching activities would be imparted to youth residing in slum board tenements and skill development training would be given to 5,000 individuals.
