Grandiose projects mere announcements by civic body?

CHENNAI: Skywalks for pedestrians thronging T. Nagar and Parrys, dedicated cycle tracks in Anna Nagar and K K Nagar, zero waste management to make Chennai a Singapore and multi-level parking to decongest traffic seem to be fancy announcements by Chennai Corporation. With the incumbent council’s term set to expire in October, these prestigious projects now remain on paper. With local body polls and monsoon approaching, the cash-starved city corporation will put on hold these projects for a few more months, admitted a civic official.

Among the populist schemes announced in the previous budget, while Amma weekly market is on the track awaiting inaugural, other schemes like Amma hostel for women, Amma theatres, grade separator connecting Anna Salai and Mahalingapuram by integrating Usman Road flyovers are all non-starters after several brainstorming sessions. Projects like bicycle tracks and online booking of parking space require infrastructure in place. The corporation’s exchequer now faces huge deficit surpassing Rs 100 crores, thanks to popular Amma canteens draining the civic body exchequer. “With the budget expenditure estimate amounting over Rs 5,000 crore please do not expect any major infrastructure project from the corporation over the next few months or at least in the next year budget,” the source said.

 T Nagar chokes on daily basis. Creating a commercial square, skywalks and multi-level parking lots have been promised for the area. In reality, even the garbage is not cleared properly and waste segregation is a thing of past, said local civic activist R. Govindaraj of Exnora International.  The corporation and the State has been appointing private consultants through Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TUFISIL) and on its own, but no one knows what happens after that, rued a contractor associated with Chennai Corporation. “My pending bills have crossed Rs 20 lakh and I just want that and I am not interested in corporation projects anymore, the contractor spotted in Ripon Building on Monday told DC seeking anonymity.

When contacted, a highly placed official said the cycle track plan was on very much at  K. K. Nagar and the primary infrastructure works in this regard is in progress. The Rs 3 crore project would benefit students of 10 local schools and cyclists. On multi-storeyed parking lot plans in T Nagar, the official said it was due to land acquisition and litigations that the project was shelved in T. Nagar and Broadway. 

Failed promises about civic amenities annoy city residents:

Unauthorised parking, poor garbage management, water logging and encroachment are regular features in T Nagar and Broadway, the two commercial hubs of Chennai. With the local body elections in the offing, councillors have been touting the same old promises that remain unsolved in the localities. One of the bigger proposals to decongest T. Nagar like the automated multi storeyed parking project at Panagal Park has been initiated. Civic negligence, including non-monitoring of pollution and encroachments on interior lanes of Usman Road, has plagued the residents, who are mulling over the option of relocating to other areas in the city.

“Except for one or two times, our councillor has never visited us post the elections. Residents involvement is more witnessed than the local body administration here,” said V.S. Jayaraman, member of T Nagar Resident Welfare Association. “Encroachments on the connecting lanes to Usman Road are an eyesore. Giri Road that connects to G.N. Chetty Road has been battered after the floods and is yet to be redone,” said K. Gopalan, retired chief commissioner, Income tax. He said the local body should set up targets and supervise the work periodically.

When primary issues like garbage removal in Parrys is a major question, the civic body’s promise to ensure zero waste management remains a million dollar question, said lawyer and rights activist, Sudha Ramalingam. “The byroads of Broadway are chaotic with litter seen in all places. Electoral promises are forgotten by both residents and the civic administration,” she mentioned.