The Hindu : Front Page : Centre clears Chennai drainage project

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Friday, Jan 23, 2009
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Centre clears Chennai drainage project

J. Balaji

— Photo: S.S. Kumar

The Virugambakkam canal that overflowed during the recent rains in Chennai.

NEW DELHI: The Urban Development Ministry has cleared a project to improve macro and micro drainages in Chennai to avoid flooding of the city. The work will be completed in three years.

It would be jointly implemented by the Chennai Corporation (with a component of Rs.812.15 crore) and the State Public Works Department (Rs.635.77 crore) and 35 per cent of the project cost would be provided by the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Fifteen per cent of the cost would be given by the Tamil Nadu government and the remaining (50 per cent) would be borne by the Corporation and the PWD according to their respective value of works.

Stormwater drains and waterways such as Buckingham Canal, Otteri Nullah, Cooum and Adyar rivers would be integrated and work would be taken up after dividing the city into north, central, east and south basins. There will be improvement in the drainage systems of flood-prone areas such as Velachery, Kolathur, Vyasarpadi, T. Nagar and Kodungaiyur.

Chennai Mayor M. Subramanian, who held discussions with Urban Development Ministry officials in Delhi, said the project would be taken up simultaneously in all the areas.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said tenders for the project would be called in 20 days.

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