This follows the death of a girl whose bicycle is suspected to have skidded on sand
The Chennai Corporation has directed builders and property owners to not use public road space to store construction material. It has warned action against residents encroaching upon road space. This follows the death of an eight-year-old child in Velachery on Saturday, whose bicycle could have skidded on sand left on the road.
Corporation Commissioner D.Karthikeyan said: “We have strictly instructed our AEs/JEs to take action against those who have dumped sand or other construction material on the roads. It also reduces the carriage way. If people continue to store material on the roads, we will not hesitate to remove the stuff with the help of the police.” Residents can call and complain on such violations at the Corporation's helpline 1913.
At any given time, in the newly extended areas and areas including Velachery, about 25-30 constructions take place in an area comprising around 100 streets. In areas like Triplicane or Saidapet the number would be around 10 – 15.
A former official of the civic body recalled that earlier, a fine of Rs.500 was imposed if construction material was left on public roads.
Former Mayor M.Subramanian said that when residents stack up bricks or cement bags, they don't realise that they are encroaching on public space. “Since June 2008, the Corporation had collected Rs.27 lakh as fine from those who dumped construction debris and garbage on the roads.”
Congress leader Saidai P. Ravi said that the civic body insists on prior permission and payment for road cuts. “A similar mechanism must be introduced for construction material. When building permission is given, the Corporation should include a clause that construction material must not be kept on the road for more than a few hours,” he said. Sand on roads leading to schools is especially dangerous.
In many areas hardware stores too encroach on platform space to store construction material,” said Geethapriya Manikantan, a mother of two and a resident of Velachery.
A real estate agent from Mylapore, who did not want to be named, said that in several areas councillors were the first to go to any construction spot. “They demand money from property owners stating that sand was an obstruction on the road. But after they take the bribe, they do not care as to what happens to the sand,” he added.
Keywords: Chennai Corporation
Has anyone every been part of a building construction recently? Can anyone tell me where to pile up the building material for a site on a mere 20 feet road while active construction is going on inside the site?
Allowing material to remain on the road for a few hours do not really work. Instead corporation can collect money for the space and provide a safe cover so they don't pose any danger to the public.
Once construction is over these things will go away.
Our other contributors include
1. Parked Auto/Taxis/Vans and other commercial vehicles including private buses simply eat up 3/4th of the street space.
2. Overflowing trash bins share some burden of this encroachment.
3. Ramps from each house's gate is a generous contributor with gates opening outward and remaining that way till the evening
4. In some streets (like mine) the compound wall of a few houses have already eaten into the remaining portions of the road
All will welcome the rules but no one abide by it .In tambaram most of the buildings are under construction, who block the roads by spreading soil , i request the corporation to take immediate action by giving some instructions to builder's association
The right way to address is let your corporators/MLA's increase the
levy fine to Rs 1lakh per incident in the next meeting/assembly
meeting. Also, for every 1 complaint made by a private citizen, you can
also publish the public official name, whose duty it was in the first
place to carry out this.(This official's pay also needs to take a ding).
Let us send a complete list to local corporation councillor and to the corporation commissioner / mayor and to police authorities "of persons who are (currently) responsible for storing construction material / debris on the road side without caring the road users".
They can either collect bribe from these people or take action to remove the material and slap fine.
More accidents are caused by the unkempt roads for which the Corporation is responsible. Who is to take ownership for that? And of course the hardware stores and the garbage. This is one more way for fleecing the residents. Its unfair to force just the citizens to be compliant while the corporation can't do much about it.
The real problem here is bribery. Traffic Police come and warn the constructors to remove the materials from road. But then after they go away, the materials remain there until the construction is complete. Officials must stop taking bribes in issues involving human life. They should consider their fate if they travel in such roads.
Whom to report about construction work stacked on the road? Any email id? phone number? Where is the complaint register? If complaint is not seen and corrective measures not taken, who is accountable for that?
I am in Singapore. If such things happen, they will first levy hefty fine. If the materials are not removed, then the authorities cancel the license to build. Chennai should follow this method.then only something will get done.
In many places parking of cars are causing nuisance, people park cars on the roads which shrinks the size of the road this forces people to walk on the center of the road. In Chennai city it is hard to find pavements with hawkers encroaching on it. Corporation and government must address the problem failing which many lives will lost on the road. Is there anyone listening??
A mere fine of Rs 500, is it enough ? Fine of Rs 10,000 and after the encorachment is removed, the construction work should be halted for one month.
Sir the decision of chennai corporation commissioner is most welcome andit is an bold decision. at the same time a section of anti social elements encroach the road in the name of temple for which nobody bothers even courts take several years to say some thing about this by that time The temple grows in to many folds at one stage. the sufferings of the owner of the property in front a illegal temple is becomes joy of the nighbour. Request the commissioner to take action on these illegal temples which can save crores of rupees on fuel of a common man .our great Councillor s will not agree for this action since the booty also shared by them and some of the police officials.
The fine of Rs.500 sans any logic I have ever come across. If the cost of warehousing the construction materials are greater than the fine, these shopowners would definitely store it in the road for free. Given the frequency of such inspections happening, I really doubt if it can be implemented in true spirit (though I hope it does)and will go down as another non-starter and news grabber from Madras corportation.
In Velachery you cannot see a single road where construction materilas are not stacked up. In some streets, it could be at 2 or 3 places on the same road. And this has been going on for years.My threat of police complaint to my neighbour was countered by him that it happens with full knowledge of police. Such shows of fervent action, warnings and threats from the authorities whenever an accident takes place and the subsequent indifference are all too familiar to warrant any serious attention from us
500 rupees is nothing, for someone who has the audacity to put construction materials on the road. It looks totally stupid on the corporations part to charge the money and leave the guy alone. Its their duty to clear the public space of construction material. In this case charge 500 as fine + cost of removal of the obstruction. By removing the stuff only will people act. If the guy still continues to obstruct public space lock him up and throw him in jail, as it is tantamount to attempted murder.
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