Deccan Chronicle 26.09.2009

No road digging for next 3 months

Chennai

Sept. 25: In a bid to prevent flooding in Chennai during the ensuing northeast monsoon, the city corporation on Friday convened a high level meeting comprising officials from 33 government departments at the Ripon Buildings to assess the monsoon preparatory works and natural disaster management.

According to a corporation official, the objective of the meeting was to form a coordination committee among the city corporation and other government officials to execute the monsoon plan. Issues like storm water drains, road repair, desilting of canals, clearing of encroachments and rescue and relief operations during floods were discussed.

Mayor M. Subramanian, who chaired the meeting requested fisheries and agriculture departments to provide boats and high power motors pumps in case of inundation. He also announced that the civic body had decided not to encourage any road cuts for the next three months. From October 1, neither the government nor private agencies would be allowed to dig roads.

Corporation commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni enquired about the monsoon arrangements made by the Public Works Department, Chennai Metro water and Slum Clearance Board. In fact, corporation councillors and zonal chairmen cornered the representatives from these departments, when they failed to provide proper details in connection with the monsoon preparatory works.

Mr Subramanian concluded the meeting requesting the departments to work together to prevent floods.