The Hindu 13.11.2013
Polluting commercial buildings to be shut down
The Chennai Corporation has decided to withdraw licences
for commercial buildings that are found to have directly connected
their drainage network to stormwater drains and waterways.
The
civic body will soon commence a survey of all properties in the city,
using the services of private agencies. “The private agency will verify
every building and identify those that contribute to the pollution of
waterways,” said a senior Corporation official.
The survey will also throw light on the gaps in property tax collection and the trade licence framework for the expanded city.
“The
number of workers in the Corporation is inadequate for identifying all
the illegal sewer connections. There are more than a million property
tax assessees in the city. So we will screen all the buildings in the
city with the help of private agencies,” said the official.
Earlier,
1,300 properties were identified by the civic body as having illegal
sewer connections and over half of them received legal connections from
Chennai Metrowater. In the second phase conducted recently, the civic
body identified 3,000 more buildings with illegal connections. A number
of them are commercial buildings.
“We will advise the
property tax assessees of such buildings to get a sewer connection from
Chennai Metrowater by a stipulated date. If they refuse to oblige, we
will close down the buildings,” said the official.
Works to the tune of Rs. 100 crore are likely to be taken up shortly to combat the pollution of waterways, the official added.
Corporation will commence a survey of all properties in the city, using the services of private agencies.