The Chennai Corporation has identified 1.12 lakh sq. m. of private land and a number of notified open spaces along 11 city roads, for widening them.
The Corporation Council on Thursday passed a resolution for denotification of such open spaces to facilitate the work. The preparation of a land plan schedule for the purpose of acquisition has been completed.
The largest extent of private property (25,179 sq. m.) will be acquired along 4.7 km of Arcot Road, for increasing its width to 30.5 metre. Many parks and playgrounds in schools are also likely to be required for the road widening projects.
Work on Santhome High Road will improve its width to 24 metres. Private land on either side of the 1.6-km stretch — which, at present, is 18 metre wide — will be acquired. The 3.2-km-long Sardar Patel Salai will be widened from 20 metre to 30.5 metre, after acquiring 3,286 sq. m. of private land and 18,821 sq. m. of government land.
Vineetha Velayudhan, a long-time resident of ‘Sardar Patel Road, hailed the plan to widen roads, but expressed doubts on its effectiveness. “Even if the move is to ease traffic, nothing will happen without better traffic management. I don’t know if merely widening it is going to help.”
The width of L.B. Road and Kalki Krishnamurthy Salai will be increased to 30.5 metre, with 20,000 sq. m. of land acquired for the purpose.
Transfer of development rights is likely to be used to help land owners affected by the project. The other roads to be widened include Nelson Manickam Road, Strahans Road, Perambur Barracks Road, Kaliamman Koil Street, Paper Mills Road and Sembium Red Hills Road.
Taking charge of manhole repairThe Corporation also plans to smooth jagged edges of sewer manholes on roads across the city. Currently, Metrowater has the responsibility of repairing the structures after roads are laid.
However, a number of such works were delayed following re-laying of many roads, causing difficulty to motorists.
Under the new system, the civic body will include the cost of repair of such manholes during the preparation of estimates for a road project. The decision to change the system follows an audit objection raised on such works done by the Corporation in Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar.
“Residents in such areas had complained about frequent accidents cause by such manholes. So, Corporation officials spent money on repairing the manholes. This has led to audit objection, because the work should have been done only by Metrowater officials,” said an official.
A few sewer manholes were repaired by the Corporation in such areas by including the amount in the preparation of estimates for road re-laying work. Officials of other zones of the Corporation, however, refused to repair such sewer manholes even after requests from residents.
“After the decision is implemented, the Corporation will be able to repair manholes immediately,” said the official.
Completion of the civic body’s project on laying cement concrete roads has also been delayed because of damaged sewer manholes. The civic body will identify all such manholes for repair work shortly.
