Alandur sewer work leaves roads in a shamble

By S.Shanker

CHENNAI, SEPT. 1. About 18 months ago, resident welfare associations in Alandur were competing with one another to perform `bhoomi pooja' for the sewer project in their area. But today, they are a disillusioned lot as the local municipality has left their roads dug-up for the sewer work in a shamble.

The Rs.34 crore user-pay-mode sewer project, seeking deposits from residents was inaugurated with much fanfare in February last. Till date about 13,800 residents of the town have contributed over Rs.7 crores for the proposal. Hailed as the Alandur model, the project is slated for replication in other municipalities and Town panchayats of the State. But the roads in the local body are from a "model" status today.

Last year, the Alandur Municipality announced suspension of roads works in the town, till such time the sewer lines were networked, as it would be wasteful expenditure to lay new roads, during the implementation period of the project.

Of the 388 streets, in Nanganallur and Adambakkam, where the sewer lines have been laid so far, only 81 roads have been taken up for blacktopping, at a cost of Rs.1.61 crores. House connections have been provided on 220 roads. The remaining houses on the streets are in the process of being linked to the mains. In all about 42 km of the 120 km programmed for commissioning of the sewer pipelines have been laid so far. The project is scheduled for completion in 2005.

Residents of Hindu Colony and Maruthi Nagar complain that the contractors left trenches dug-up for providing house connections open for days, not only hampering traffic but also endangering the safety of pedestrians. Man holes are left open, unmindful of the danger they caused to the road users, especially at night. ``Why cannot the contractors be told that the trenches for house connections should be dug only when the pipes are at the site,'' questions a resident of Hindu Colony. One resident of Lakshmi Nagar wanted to know why the digging and laying of pipelines could not be done as a single operation, instead of staggering the work in stages. More important, why were immediate repairs not being carried out, though this was paid for the tax payer.

Meanwhile, the local body has sought about Rs. 12.98 crores from the Government for re-laying about 110 km of roads in phases over the next four years. This apart, it has sought sanction for allocating Rs.32.14 lakhs from its General Fund for black topping 14 streets.

Agreeing that some roads have to be laid afresh, sources say not all roads, where the pipelines were laid are `un-motorable' as once the earth work was complete, it is filled with layers of blue metal and sand to firm-up loose soil. On roads, where there was no alternative, but to black top the entire stretch, the authorities have asked the contractors not to `tar' the dug-up portion as road contractors were better equipped to pack the portion and align it with the height of the manholes. Practically, the contractors rarely meet such objectives.

For major bus route roads, such as Thillai Ganga 3rd Main and Nanganallur 2nd Main roads, the municipality has authorised re- laying work with funds obtained from road-cut charges remitted by the Telephones Department, amounting to Rs.8.5 lakhs. Similarly the local body has paid about Rs.50 lakhs to the Highways Department for restoration work on MKN Road, Nanganallur 1st Main and 4th Main roads, besides Medavakkam High Road. The amount was available with the local body as an in-built component of the sewer scheme.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Autorickshaws back in 'business' at central
           station
Next     : Operation rescue continues