Contractors stay away from projects citing lack of profit
It has been over four months since the government ordered the rejuvenation of four water bodies in the city suburbs. But, the project is yet to take off as no bidders have come forward so far. The Water Resources Department had issued a Government Order in December about desilting water bodies in Cholavaram, Nemam, Porur and Ayanampakkam to create additional storage that could used to supply water for the city. The department had proposed to increase the storage by nearly 600 million cubic feet at a cost of Rs.130 crore. On an average, about 1,000 mcft is drawn to supply 810 million litres a day to Chennai.
However, there has not been any progress in the project that was scheduled to commence in April, say residents. Residents point out the potential benefits of the project would be lost if the capacity of the water bodies is not increased before the onset of the rains.
WRD officials say that though tenders were floated twice, there were no takers. As per the proposal, nearly 100 cubic metre of silt was to be excavated by the contractors who were to pay the government around Rs. 66 crore for it. The contractors could then sell the silt to private construction projects or even the Outer Ring Road (ORR) project.
However, contractors point out that the rate cited by the government is far above market rates. The department has now approached the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company to use the silt in their ORR project. Samples of soil are being tested to check suitability. A decision on lowering the price of silt quoted would be taken if the soil is found not suitable for the ORR project, an official said.
It is vital that the project begin in summer as otherwise, it might have to be suspended mid-way once the rains come, say residents. “Every time, it rains heavily, the surrounding areas get inundated. We will be able to escape the problem this year if the lake gets deepened and the surplus courses get desilted,” said R. Eswaran, a resident of Ayanampakkam.
Residents of Porur fear that encroachments would mushroom if the water body does not receive adequate attention. “People continue to toss garbage bags and let sewage into the lake. I hope that the ambitious project will not be shelved,” said K. Javed, a resident of Porur. Fencing the vulnerable portion is necessary to prevent from further abuse, he added.
Keywords: Chennai water bodies rejuvenation, Porur lake
Water bodies such as Porur lake should be protected at all costs. Every citizen has a duty to guard against any encroachments, dumping of waste, growth of weeds, etc. Without waiting for the government initiative, NGOs in this sector can come forward and launch a people's movement, create awareness. Fisheries dept. should promote fisheries in the lake, so that it can take care of its living status. High rise walls, or wire fences should be erected at those points where garbage are thrown or waste products dumped. Since Porur has now come within the limits of Corporation, they may even take steps to have boating during holidays. The periphery of the lake need to be beautified and landscaped to attract visitors. It can serve as an alternative to marina and it should become a place of resort rather than being used for dumping site. JNNURM or MPLAD funds or such other schemes can be availed of.
Now, water is an essential item these lakes should be under the direct control of the govt.The boundaries of the lakes should be reinforced so that waste water does not mingle with the lake . Yearly budget allocation should be made for deepening the lakes and a boat service to remove the weeds on a regular basis.Fish cultivation can also be tested for purifying the water. Local NGOs if they volunteer this will be success for the people
Educating the people about the need to respect and preserve water bodies is the need of the hour. Government should create awareness by roping in celebrities, creating artistic advertisement and make everyone proud of their cities. Public health, cleanliness and safety should be taught from primary school so that kids can internalize this and grow up to be model citizens in the future. The cleanup effort, while laudable, will last only for a very short while unless the public continues to cooperate. There are so many disgusting banners and posters in Chennai for actors and politicians. I would really not mind seeing banners all over Chennai, for the next 10 years, if it will reach the public.
Without fixing any price for the silt, tenders can be called for and the
most advantageous bid could be considered ensuring the time factor ie
arrival of next monsoon.
The government cannot be overly concerned about contractors' margins on these types of social necessities. The contractors cannot also expect their usual profits on such type of projects. What the government can do is to stipulate that whenever a contractor executes these social projects at a nominal profit he would get the preference (may be a points-based system) in some other more lucrative projects. What is essential is that these works take off and are completed prior to the onset of the monsoon. The benefits of implementing these projects cannot be measured in commercial profits alone!
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