Urban News

Most of the JNNURM projects are in various stages of implementation, and the civic body is planning to complete 11 major projects under this scheme by 2011. So far Rs 719.17 crore has been sanctioned for the city under the scheme. Of the allocated amount, Rs101.55 crore has been spent. Here is a peek into the various development projects.

Urban Road Transport

Among the JNNURM projects, Rs 76.02 crore has been allocated for the Urban Road Transport projects. “Various projects related to the development of infrastructure and  transport are progressing,” said P G Girija Devi, JNNURM project manager.

Upgradation of SA Road

Though the civic body had started the upgradation of Sahodaran Ayyappan (SA) Road about 15 years ago, the work gathered momentum only after the project got included under the JNNURM scheme. The contract was awarded for an amount of Rs 10.80 crore. Sixty-six percent of the tarring work and 90 percent of the drain work have been completed. About Rs 2.68 crore has been spent for the same.

Issues: According to the officials, the main roadblock in the completion of the project is that in some places the tarring work was limited to 4 metre due to electric posts in the middle of the proposed carriage way.  In some parts the drains are not connected due to obstructions.

Upgradation of Edappally High Court Road

About 50 percent of the upgradation work of the Edappally-High Court Road stretch has been completed. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 20.21 crore. Rs 7.64 crore has already been spent.

Upgradation of Stadium Link Road

The first phase of the project includes the construction of 1.4-km-long drains on both sides of the road with cover slabs and separate utility ducts. The contract for the work has been awarded at an estimated cost of  Rs1.93 crore.

The second phase of the project includes the upgradation of Stadium Link Road (Kaloor Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium to Thammanam Pullepady Road). The upgradation work will cover a stretch of 1.45 km with a width of 19 metre, including a 1 metre median. The expected cost of the second phase is Rs 2.63 crore. The estimate has been forwarded to the Local Self Government Department.

The other road projects include the Goshree Mamangalam Road, Thammanam Pullepady Road and Sahodaran Ayyappan West Extension Road. The estimated project costs of these projects are Rs 25.78 crore, Rs14.94 crore and Rs 2.80 crore, respectively.

ROBs

The ROB projects are jointly funded by the Indian Railway. The projects include construction of ROBs at Pachalam, Atlantis and Ponnurunni at an estimated cost of  Rs 44.82 crore, Rs 10.30 crore and Rs 10.19 crore, respectively. The total awarded amount is Rs 67.28 crore and the work has been entrusted with the Kerala Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (RBDCK).

Land acquisition

Mayor Mercy Williams said land acquisition is one of the major hurdles in the smooth implementation of the infrastructure-related projects. “We already held a meeting with the Finance Minister and requested funds for the land acquisition and obtained sanction in principle from the state government,” she said. For the construction of a ROB at Pachalam, more than two hectares of land have to be acquired. The cost of acquisition is expected to exceed Rs 70 crore. For the Goshree Mamangalam Road project, nearly four acres of land need to be acquired and the cost for acquisition is expected to exceed Rs 140 crore.

“For the Goshree-Mamangalam Road, more detailed surveys are in progress to fix the economic alignment with proper width according to the present traffic density,” said a JNNURM official.

Surface water drainage

Projects worth Rs 9.78 crore has been approved under the JNNURM scheme for the betterment of surface water drainage. The projects include re-modelling of 20 major roadside drains to divert storm water in the central zone of the city, and construction of new drains and covering them with slabs. Of the total 18 packages under the surface water drainage project, five packages have been completed. The work is in progress for five packages and an agreement has been executed for three projects.

The JNNURM official said since all the drains pass through major roads, remodeling work would result in traffic congestion. “It results in lesser output of work and hence contractors are reluctant to undertake it.”

However, he said the work of the drains at the busy market area in the city is expected to begin by September end. “Separate meetings were held with merchant unions and they have extended their support. We are hopeful of starting the work by the month-end,” he said.

Solid waste management

About Rs 26.20 crore out of the allocated Rs 88.12 crore has been spent for the betterment of solid waste management system in the city. The Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Plant commissioned at Brahmapuram was the highlight of the first phase. In the second phase, several ambitious projects — an e-waste disposal facility, biomedical waste disposal facility and a training centre, and knowledge centre of waste management — have been included.

E-governance

The Rs 8.71-crore project proposed to integrate the service sectors of the Corporation is in the implementation stage. The tender has already been floated for the work including analysis, design development, integration and supply and installation of computers. The scrutiny of tenders will begin in October 2010. With the people looking forward to fresh avenues to tap into the commercial potential of the city, the projects, once completed, will add a new dimension to Kochi.