Prepare plans on giving basic amenities for Thoraipakkam residents: Madras HC

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the managing director of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board to hold a joint meeting with authorities concerned and prepare an action plan for providing basic amenities to the residents of Kokilambal Nagar and Algappa Nagar in Thoraipakkam and produce the same before the court on January 29.

A division bench comprising Justices Vineet Kothari and Anita Sumanth gave the directive while passing further interim orders on a petition filed by Kokilambal Nagar and Alagappa Nagar RWA, which sought a direction to the authorities to inspect and provide adequate storm water drains, street drainage lines, drinking water lines, concrete roads and prevention of long stagnation of rain water on vacant lands in whole of Kokilambal Nagar and Alagappa Nagar.

The action plan should indicate the name and the nature of the project, estimated project cost, whether necessary sanction and budgetary allocations have been made or not, the progress of the work already done, the time frame within which the said project will be completed.
    —Madras High Court

The bench had on December 11, 2018, directed authorities to hold a joint meeting and decide the action plan for the development of basic amenities in the said area and furnish a copy of the said action plan before the court on the next date of hearing.

When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, the CMWSSB filed a status report. After perusing the report, the bench said, "The status report filed by the area engineer, zone-15 of CMWSSB is not satisfactory at all and therefore we direct the MD of CMWSSB to head a meeting of the different departments and municipal corporation and hold a joint meeting once again with all appropriate authorities concerned and prepare an action plan as already indicated in the earlier order for various projects which are already sanctioned and under the implementation for the said area and action plan of the projects to be undertaken in the area in future for providing the basic amenities for the residents of the said area".

The action plan should clearly indicate the name and the nature of the project, estimated project cost, whether necessary sanction and budgetary allocations have been made or not, the progress of the work already done, the time frame within which the said project will be completed etc., "We expect joint and coordinate effort of all the departments concerned which they are separately impleaded in the present PIL or not and a proper action plan should be produced before this court on the next date of hearing", the bench added.