The Greater Chennai Corporation has given an undertaking to the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal that it will not continue work on the stormwater drains (SWDs) along the East Coast Road (ECR) till further orders.
The Corporation made the submission on Monday, after the lawyer for the residents’ welfare associations, who are against the implementation of the project, told the NGT that despite a stop-work order, construction activity was still under way. Former Advocate-General A.L. Somayaji, who appeared for the Corporation, told the Tribunal that no further construction had been carried out.
Only the protruding rods from the unfinished drains were being bent and the drains were being filled up with concrete for the safety of the residents, Mr. Somayaji added.
The NGT directed the residents to submit details and photographs to establish that the Corporation continued construction despite a stop-work order.
Mr. Somayaji told The Hindu that the Corporation had given an undertaking to the Tribunal that it would not carry out any further work, including closing the under construction drains, till the NGT passes further orders.
The NGT also expanded the scope of the committee formed to look into the issue and directed it to ascertain whether the Corporation continued construction even after the NGT had asked them to stop work on the project.
