Deccan Chronicle 12.09.2009

PWD to desilt city canals soon

Chennai, Sept. 11: Chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Friday directed the public works department (PWD) to carry out desilting works in the arterial canals located in the Chennai metropolitan area and adjoining Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. This is to ensure that Chennai and its suburbs were free from floods during the ensuing monsoon.

A press release from the state secretariat said that the chief minister has directed the public works departm-ent to carry out 91 desilting works in the major water canals at a cost of Rs 4 crore. The release further said that north Buckingham canal would be desilted at a cost of Rs 72 lakh. Subsequently, desilting in central and south Buckingham can-al would be taken up at a co-st of Rs 43 and 61 lakh, respectively. Similarly, Co-oum and Otteri nullah wo-uld be desilted at a total cost of Rs 19 lakh.

As much as Rs 24 lakh would be spent to streamline and strengthen the Virugambakkam canal and its stormwater drain system, it added.

The release also said that desilting works would be taken up after floating tenders and the PWD chief engineer would form monitoring teams to ensure that the works were carried out in a proper manner.