The Hindu : Road map for beautification

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Road map for beautification

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

CHENNAI JUNE 9. The Chennai Corporation has unveiled a road map for beautification of the city with emphasis on removal of unauthorised hoardings, streamlining door-to-door garbage collection and laying quality roads and well-paved footpaths.

Giving details here today, the Commissioner, M.P. Vijayakumar, said zonal-level officials were asked to set their own deadlines to achieve what was suggested on the road map. Implementing the schemes, he said, would take some time, though he did not set any time limit.

In the face of severe criticism of the poor quality of road works, Mr. Vijayakumar said a team of consultants had been appointed to scrutinise all works. Contractors were asked to redo road works in four places (tar roads on Arumugham Street, Tondiarpet Zone; Pari Street and Raja Street in the Kodambakkam Zone, and a concrete road at Mokshapuram, Tondiarpet Zone) because the quality was not up to specifications. Similarly, a stormwater drain at Nethaji Nagar, Tondiarpet, was demolished and the contractor asked to rebuild it. "The Corporation will not brook any compromise on the quality of work," the Commissioner emphasised.

The door-to-door collection of garbage, launched about a fortnight ago, would be reviewed after a month and loopholes plugged before the scheme was extended to other parts of the city. At present, the campaign was on in 779 streets.

Another focal area would be making all 756 public conveniences in the city functional and constructing additional ones wherever necessary. "Open defecation was encouraged for lack of services and lack of awareness among people.

Our aim would be to provide the facilities and then motivate the people to use them," Mr. Vijayakumar said. The maintenance of public toilets, which has always been in question, would now be given to women self-help groups and community groups.

Other areas which would receive attention included desilting of stormwater drains and canals and improvement of parks, playfields and traffic islands.

The civic body proposed to promote a park, spread over 50 acres with recreational and entertainment facilities. It was looking for space within the city.

Tree planting

The Corporation planned aggressive plantation of trees on avenues and in all public places too make the city green. Freeing the city from stray animals, providing quality primary health care and primary education with focus on self-learning processes also figured on the agenda. A convention centre of globally-accepted standards was being planned to hold international conferences.

Answering a query on the notice served on Onyx seeking an explanation of the charge that it added debris to garbage to gain additional tonnage, the Commissioner said the company had sought two months' time to reply. The Corporation served another notice asking it to reply within 15 days. Further action would be contemplated only after receiving a reply. On the hoardings problem, civic body officials admitted they were still in the dark about the locations of unauthorised structures. "In a cluster of hoardings at a site, it is very difficult to locate those covered by the Supreme Court order. We are inviting details from outdoor advertisers and have asked them to display details on the hoardings," Mr. Vijaykumar said.

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