The State government on Friday gave financial approval for a grid system of roads, streetlights, street furniture, footpaths, parking space and stormwater drains in all eight zones comprising the expanded areas of Chennai Corporation as part of the Mega City Development Mission.
A total of Rs.333.27 crore has been approved for the implementation of the grid system by the Corporation. The fund available under the Mega City Development Mission is around Rs.308 crore. The additional amount of Rs.25.2 crore would be borne by the civic body.
The State government has asked the Corporation to initiate the tendering process immediately. The grid system focuses on clearing traffic bottlenecks around major junctions of traffic congestion in all the eight zones.
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The civic body had submitted the project proposals for approval to the State government a few months ago. Initially, the total estimate for street lights, roads and garbage clearance in extended areas was Rs.225 crore.
The revised project proposals introduced a grid system of roads with integrated development of pedestrian facilities, street lights, ducts for electrical cables and stormwater drains.
Initially, an integrated plan for solid waste management with an estimated cost of Rs.75 crore in the newly added areas was proposed as part of the Mega City Development Mission. Now the civic body has started such work with own funds.
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As many as 360 roads in the new areas of Chennai Corporation are likely to be taken up for integrated development as part of the project.
The new initiative would cover at least 175 km of roads in the Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones.
Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructural Financial Services Limited is the nodal agency for the Chennai Mega City Development Mission.
Last year, a total of 42 Local Bodies were merged with the Corporation of Chennai increasing the area of the city from 174 sq.km. to 426 sq.km.
Detailed estimates for the facilities, including parking area, have been prepared and the works would be launched in the current financial year. It is expected to give a facelift to expanded areas by development of state-of-the-art roads with all required utilities.