The Hindu                23.05.2013

Additional water tankers sought to tide over water crisis

Councillors demand comprehensive plan for tackling crisis.

Councillors, who spoke at the emergency meeting of the municipal council held here on Wednesday, urged the municipal administration to initiate immediate action to resolve the acute drinking water scarcity in the town. They suggested both temporary and long-term comprehensive plans to be implemented to resolve the crisis.

Arivudai Nambi a DMK councillor said that the water scarcity was quite acute in almost all parts of the town and wanted the municipality to execute a comprehensive integrated water supply plan. Raising similar views, Councillors Suba Saravanan (DMK) and Syed Ibrahim Babu (Congress) said a coordinated effort by the Municipal Commissioner, chairman and councillors for the supply of water through tankers would go a long way in tiding over the crisis.

They also suggested use of additional water tankers, taking into consideration the poor availability of water.

S.A. Sait Municipal Chairman said that a supervisor has been nominated at the pumping station for despatch of water tankers to the needy areas on daily basis.

Proposals for permanent measures have also been initiated.

The Hindu                23.05.2013

Link road, cycling track among projects under study

The link road connecting Thiru. Vi. Ka Bridge and Kotturpuram Bridge along Adyar river is one of the nine key projects in the city for which a feasibility study will begin shortly.

The Chennai Corporation Council on Wednesday passed a resolution permitting TNUIFSL (Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited) to commence the study and prepare detailed project reports for them. The other projects include pedestrian plazas in T. Nagar, Chepauk and Mylapore and a cycle circuit along beach from Fort station to Foreshore Estate for a length of 7 km.

The link road along the Adyar is likely to ease traffic congestion in Adyar and Kotturpuram areas during rush hour. TNUIFSL had earlier decided to take up the Adyar River Front Project as the first part of the Chennai Circular Corridor. After cleaning up the Adyar, a dedicated carriageway on both sides of the river for a Bus Rapid Transport System had been proposed. However, it did not take off and Chennai Corporation now plans to use aspects of the same proposal to ease traffic congestion in a smaller stretch in the locality.

The pedestrian plazas in T. Nagar, Chepauk and Mylapore are part of an initiative to provide better amenities for pedestrians. The study will focus on a commercial theme for the pedestrian plaza in T. Nagar, an environmental theme for the facility in Chepauk and a religious one for Mylapore.

Various modes of public transport will be accessible from the plazas. The plaza at Cheapuk is likely to involve the roads that form a loop around the proposed super-specialty hospital in Omandurar Government Estate. The move is part of efforts to promote non-motorised transport. This would include bicycle tracks and partial pedestrianisation.

Chennai Corporation will commission facilities to promote cycle sharing as an important means of providing last-mile connectivity to MRTS stations initially. The facilities will also be commissioned along Metro Rail corridors in the long run.

The study will cover skywalks in Mambalam and Parrys, improvement of beaches in Kottivakkam, Palavakkam and Neelankarai and multi-level parking in Nungambakkam among others.