Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister K.N. Nehru and Sriperumbudur Member of Parliament T.R. Baalu on Friday inspected the ongoing construction of the Chinna Nolambur bridge. The work to construct the bridge across the Cooum basin has been taken up by the Bridges Department of the Greater Chennai Corporation at a cost of ₹42.71 crore.
During the inspection, Mr. Nehru told the authorities concerned, including Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan, Mayor R. Priya, Joint Commissioner (Works) G.S. Sameeran, Chief Engineer (General) S. Rajendiran and Zone 11 Ward Committee Chairman V. Rajan to expedite the work on the ₹31.65-crore bridge at Sannathi First Cross Street.
Burning waste
Close to the Poonamalle High Road, near the site where the Minister carried out inspection, smoke was emanating from garbage and debris pile-up. Ram Das, 62, a scrap dealer, said the spot was fairly clean roughly six years ago. “Late at night, even as a watchman is supervising this area, many people throw household wastes and palm tree branches here. The smoke has been emanating for three consecutive days. It is a health hazard, but we are used to it,” Mr. Ram said.
A conservancy worker of Urbaser Sumeet, the private agency to which GCC outsourced waste management in Zone 11, claimed that workers of the previous shift burn the garbage if they are unable to segregate or handle it. “It is a mistake for which they had been been pulled up; yet, they keep doing it,” the worker said.
The Supervising Engineer, requesting anonymity, said the issue will be addressed.
