The Public Works Department has been asked to expedite the construction of retaining walls along the Kudamuritti River in the city in the wake of onset of North East monsoon.
The progress of the work, taken up as part of the Rs.257.13 crore flood control project, came in for scrutiny during an inspection by Collector Jayashree Muralidharan and MLAs M.Paranjothi, R.Manoharan and Mayor A.Jaya here on Thursday. The retaining walls are being constructed along the right bank of the river in two stretches, between Puthur Weir and Pandamangalam for a total distance of about five km at a total cost of about Rs.8.60 crore.
However, the work had been suspended twice in the past six months, raising apprehensions among local residents about possible overflow from the river during the monsoon as the bund has been badly eroded in many stretches. The work was first suspended ahead of the Assembly elections and resumed in August. It came to a halt again last month and was resumed just a couple of days back.
Accompanied by PWD Executive Engineer P.Balasubramaniam and other officials, Ms.Muralidharan and the MLAs inspected the work and directed the PWD engineers to complete the work at the earliest.
Corporation Commissioner K.Veera Raghava Rao, Deputy Mayor Asick Meera and City Engineer S.Raja Mohamed accompanied the Collector and MLAs.
Of the 31 works sanctioned under the flood control project, 24 have already been completed. Five works are to be taken up after sanction of revised estimates. The aqueduct, under construction at the Puthur Weir, is yet to be completed pending the sanction of revised estimates.
Kasivilangi bridge
Later, Ms.Muralidharan inspected the progress of works on the widening of the Kasilvilangi bridge across the Kudamuritti river on the Kuzhumani Road. The work has been taken up by the Corporation at an estimate of Rs.1.25 crore. The Collector directed the officers to expedite the work on laying approach roads to the widened bridge and open it for traffic.
