CM announces ₹1,850-cr for road repairs in Chennai and other urban areas

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced in the Assembly a ₹1,850-crore project to repair roads in Chennai and other urban local bodies, which had been damaged during the laying of drinking water and underground sewerage lines.

As part of the Vetri Tamilagam Vision, 35 km of roads covering 45 sq. km. in Chennai would be converted into People-Friendly Modern Streets with footpaths, Mr. Vijay said. Besides, safe access to schools would be created along 15 km of roads to ensure the safety of students, while 105 road junctions would be improved as part of the Traffic Islands Improvement Programme.

The project would cost ₹110 crore. Similar projects would be implemented in other municipal corporations at a cost of ₹165 crore. As part of the government’s plan to improve infrastructure in schools under urban local bodies, new classrooms and modern facilities would be created at a cost of ₹335 crore.

Mr. Vijay said one-crore tree saplings would be planted to protect the environment and increase green cover in cities. The tree-planting programme would be carried out as a people’s movement. Mr. Vijay also announced a ₹1,000-crore package of projects to improve drinking water supply in Madurai and Cuddalore Municipal Corporations, nine municipalities and 30 town panchayats.

In addition, 33 combined drinking water supply projects would be implemented at a cost of ₹300 crore. The Chief Minister also announced waste-to-energy projects in Tirunelveli and Salem Municipal Corporations. In Tirunelveli, a 9-MW project to generate electricity from waste would be implemented at a cost of ₹256 crore.

The Salem project would cost ₹291 crore and have a generation capacity of 10 MW. He also announced major parks in Tiruchi, Tiruppur, and Pudukkottai at a cost of ₹130 crore. The government would also create 250 new parks across the State at a cost of ₹175 crore.