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Erode Municipality park in poor shape

Wednesday, 22 July 2009 04:50 administrator
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The Hindu 22.07.2009

Erode Municipality park in poor shape

Staff Reporter

The 40-year-old park has been in a state of neglect for over a decade now

— PHOTO: M.GOVARTHAN

Needs attention: Municipality park in Gobichettipalayam is in a state of neglect and has turned a haven for anti-social elements.

 

ERODE: Municipality park in Ward 9 in Gobichettipalayam is in a state of neglect. Trees with far-reaching canopy suggest the existence of a park.

Out-of-use fountain, dilapidated structures, broken slide and others confirm it, besides speaking volumes about the state of neglect. Unregulated growth of bushes and shrubs only add to the confirmation.

Gobichettipalayam residents say the 40-year-old park has been in a state of neglect for over a decade now. They charge the civic body with not only maintaining the park but also allowing assets to go waste.

The only activity that goes on in the park is water supply from the two-lakh-litre tank. Ward Councillor M. Prakash says the staff looking after water supply go there to regulate water flow, as the tank is the main supply source.

Other than the Municipality staff, the public do not throng the park for want of maintenance. Mr. Prakash says only a few children play for a while in the evenings. The state of neglect has led to the obvious: anti-social elements using the park to carry out their nefarious activities. The residents say during evenings, they are troubled by anti-social elements using the place to drink and make merry.

The Councillor acknowledges the residents’ complaint and says he has raised the issue at the Council and as a follow-up the civic body asked the police to maintain a vigil there.

About the park’s poor state, he says has raised the issue to no avail.

A senior office in the civic body says the Gobichettipalayam Municipality has not been able to repair structures and maintain the park for want of funds.

The civic body can renovate the park only with the government support, as the financial health is too poor to carry out such activities. He says the civic body is planning to write to the government seeking funds.

Chairperson M. Revathi Devi says the civic body can carry out the work only with funds from the General account, and as there are expenditure of importance using the General fund like salary payment, the Municipality is not in a position to upkeep the park.

She says that the Municipality plans to take up the work under the Namaku Naame scheme, where in members of the public have to contribute.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2009 05:03
 

Anna Salai, Kamarajar Salai to boast of graffiti

Monday, 20 July 2009 11:26 administrator
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The New Indian Express 20.07.2009

Anna Salai, Kamarajar Salai to boast of graffiti



A graffitti at Nandanam/J Manoharana.
CHENNAI: Following the success in maintaining the city’s two arterial roads, Anna Salai and Kamarajar Salai without posters for more than a month, the Chennai Corporation now embarked on a mission to turn them as visual treat for visitors.

As part of their drive, the civic body has planned for 50,000 sqft wall paintings on both the roads in coming days. After visiting one of such painting sites near Nandanam on Saturday, Mayor M Subramanian told reporters, “After the ban was imposed on wall posters on these arterial roads, efforts are now on to beautify them by painting eye-catching images depicting rich Tamil culture and tradition.” In the first phase, the compound walls of YMCA School of Physical Education at Saidapet in Zone 9 have been painted with images of the Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari, cave temples of Mahabalipuram, Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple and many others depicting our rich culture, the Mayor said. A stretch of 7,102 sq ft have been painted here.

A team of painters led by Tamil Nadu Painters Association president J P Krishna have been entrusted with the task of painting them.

After Saidapet, painting works on compound walls at Raj Bhavan in Guindy, Tamil Nadu Veterinary department at Nandanam, MC Raja Hostel at Saidapet and Athuma Nagar Bus Stand would be taken up.

The walls at the DMS Complex at Teynampet, Island Grounds would be painted with images boasting the culture of the land.

Last Updated on Monday, 20 July 2009 12:10
 

PWD to desilt waterways in Chennai

Friday, 17 July 2009 05:02 administrator
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The Hindu 17.07.2009

PWD to desilt waterways in Chennai

K.Lakshmi and Deepa H Ramakrishnan

— Photo: V.Ganesan

The heavily clogged Cooum river stretch near Chennai Central railway station will soon be desilted by PWD.

CHENNAI: With a project to improve micro and macro drains in Chennai with Central funding likely to be delayed, the Water Resources Department will take up works to desilt major waterways before north-east monsoon.

Department officials said that the project to integrate micro and macro drains, which would be implemented along with the Chennai Corporation, was recently approved by the Central government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. As the State government has suggested some changes in the detailed project report, the authorities concerned have submitted a revised project report for State government’s sanction.

Since the tendering process would take a few months, the project is expected to be launched only next year. Stormwater drains and waterways would be integrated and the work taken up after dividing the city into north, central, east and south basins. There will be improvement in the drainages in flood-prone areas such as Velachery, Kolathur, Vyasarpadi, T.Nagar and Kodungaiyur. The project would be completed in three years.

Against this backdrop and in order to prevent flooding, the Water Resources Department has decided to begin desilting operations in various parts of the city by August.

The Department would carry out cleaning operation in Buckingham canal, Veerangal Odai, Velachery drain, Otteri Nullah, Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal and in some stretches of the Cooum and Adyar rivers. Apart from the overgrown vegetation and solid waste dumped in the waterways, blockages in beds would also be cleared.

“We also plan to desilt surplus course of Porur Lake that link to the Adyar river through Manapakkam and Ramapuram areas,” an official said. The Water Resources Department is awaiting State government’s sanction for the estimated cost of Rs.4.8 crore to carry out the work. The desilting operation is executed by the Water Resources Department every year to prevent inundation during monsoon. However, the waterways are often misused for dumping solid waste, including plastic, the officials said. The department plans to complete the cleaning operation by September-end.

The Chennai Corporation, however, is going ahead with the process of constructing 838 km of stormwater drains under the JNNURM. Tenders for the first phase of construction would be floated shortly.

Out of the existing 770 km of stormwater drains, it has desilted 475 km. Drains that have been silted above two m are being initially targeted. Facilities silted up to 1 metre and between 1 metre and 2 metre silt would be taken up soon. The entire operation would be completed by the end of August, a senior official of the civic body said.

Last Updated on Friday, 17 July 2009 05:05
 
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