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The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Don't stop at potholes: Chennai residents pitch ideas for the Namma Salai app
As the State government has started exploring the feasibility of building an app for roads of all local bodies across the State, residents of Chennai Corporation have demanded a comprehensive list of civic issues to be addressed in the App instead of merely focusing on potholes. president of the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Associations, said the Namma Salai app should not merely focus on potholes, and instead resolve all civic issues pertaining to roads, including flood mitigation, street furniture, encroachment, and road traffic accidents caused by road design. 'The residents who intend to use the App for resolving civic issues of roads should be able to access comprehensive information about all the roads. For instance, the residents do not know the actual dimensions of the road, encroachment, or date of relaying of the road. We want to know whether the App will also provide such information for better transparency while residents try to post a photo of civic issues. Many narrow roads in north Chennai have the issue of flooding because the roads follow the undulations without proper design,' he said. Ward 84 councillor said most of the civic issues of roads are not resolved because of lack of transparency about the status of work on a road or the list of work completed in a stretch by various agencies. 'The civic officials launched four different projects on roads last year. The contractors who are supposed to do the work said the work in the package has been done in other roads of Assembly constituencies of important leaders. Will the App address such civic issues?' he said. Former Anna University professor of urban engineering said: 'Namma Salai App may include the following issues for the public to address-road design factors: inadequate width to carry the traffic, unevenness, light reflecting road surface, storm water drain problem, skidding of two wheelers, frequent accidents, footpaths, broken medians, lack of bus bays, sharp curves and consequent poor visibility to drivers, frequent road cuttings.' Pointing to the rise of traffic issues on city roads, he stressed the need for inclusion of complaints about traffic problems, traffic management- one ways, U Turns, restraining right turns, defective signals, invisible road marking, lack of sign boards, lack of pedestrian crossings, non-synchronisaton of signals, unannounced road diversions, poor traffic enforcement- over speeding, overloading, riding on the wrong direction, lack of transparency and coordination, indiscriminate parking, encroachments, and noise and air pollution.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Central government scheme provides ray of hope for revised GIS mapping of water lines and sewer network to resolve civic issues, and create safer streets
As the preparatory work on schemes for special assistance to States for capital investment by the Central government has started this month, residents and councillors in the city have demanded utilisation of the funds this year for mapping of municipal assets, existing water sewerage, storm water drainage network on GIS portal and GATI Shakti Portal to resolve civic issues. The civic body has also planned to implement a safe city street plan under the scheme for women, persons with disability and children, based on consultations with residents. Residents have complained that many civic issues about water supply and sewage have not been resolved while a few have been resolved after a delay of several weeks owing to the lack of proper mapping of the assets underground. GCC and Metrowater workers have not been able to identify the water supply lines underneath roads for resolving civic issues. Federation of North Chennai Residents Association president said drinking water has been polluted by mixing of sewage in most of the roads of north Chennai. 'Residents have complained. But the civic agencies require funds for resolving such issues. The State government should get more funds from the Central government to resolve the issue of water supply and sewage in north Chennai,' he said The northern zones of GCC are likely to benefit from the scheme for special assistance to States for capital investment by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for urban reforms in the year 2025 -2026. Residents have demanded the civic agencies compile baseline data for all components to be submitted in 30 days. As part of the reforms, states are expected to map, digitise existing water networks, stormwater drains and sewage network layers in GIS platform mandatorily all GIS utility maps on PM Gati Shakti portal. The funds under the scheme will also be utilised for implementation of a safe city street plan. The streets will be safer for women, persons with disability and children. The GCC will prepare a neighbourhood improvement plan focussing on utilities, schools, and infrastructure of the area for digital mapping. The scheme includes mitigation strategies for flooding. The Central government will also fund the project for rejuvenation of existing wells. In the previous Chennai Corporation Council meeting, Councillors in areas such as Adyar have spoken about the pollution of wells because of damage in the sewer network. Once the Central government provides funds under the scheme, the civic body will rejuvenate the existing wells and restore the functionality of existing wells to enhance their water storage , quality and flow in the 15 zones of the city. The Central government will carry out desilting and sediment removal, replace or repair the casting, pumping system maintenance and testing mechanism for contamination under the scheme. Similarly, GCC will develop urban forest pathways as part of urban planning reform under the scheme. The funds under the scheme will also be utilised for revitalising central business districts, historic core of state capitals. The State will incentivise revitalisation, restoring and retrofitting city cores, marketplaces of historical importance to turn them into vibrant economic cultural spaces.
