The Times of India     23.08.2012

Drain works: Chennai Corporation admits it is leaden-footed, seeks more funds

CHENNAI: The inordinate delay by the Chennai Corporation and the Public Works Department (PWD) in completing storm water drain works in the city under the Centre's flagship Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is expected to scale up the project cost.

The civic body for the first time officially admitted that only 25% of the work had been completed till July, just five months before the deadline of December 31. It now plans to seek an additional Rs 28 crore under the JNNURM because "construction costs have risen over the last four years". "In the last few years, prices of basic materials such as sand, gravel, cement and steel have risen," says a council resolution that approves the request for funds. For works taken up by the corporation and the PWD, Rs 1,447.91 crore was initially sanctioned. The civic body now wants it increased to Rs 1475 crore.

The justification for this is that the funds were released according to a plan submitted by the corporation in 2008 and that there have been additional costs and inflation in the four years since. The corporation said it had incurred extra costs while breaking down existing drains and correcting sewerage drains.

The corporation and the PWD submitted their plan to the Centre in 2008, and the funds were approved later that year. Despite the work beginning in 2010, the contractors selected for the project are way behind schedule. The reasons vary from elections and the monsoon to metro rail construction. "The state and local body elections were held. There are rains every year from September to December. The traffic police do not allow construction at night because of metro rail construction," stated the resolution. The third reason has managed to raise a few eyebrows because construction at metro rail sites takes place only on Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road, both of which come under the state highways department.

Encroachment and lack of coordination among the agencies involved are also stated as reasons. "Nearly 3,500 encroachers had to be moved to facilitate the construction of storm water drains and had to be provided alternate residences. Then there were metrowater pipes and electric cables that had to be corrected by other agencies."