Water supply and drainage facilities in Chennai's suburbs will be strengthened at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore, announced Mr K.P. Munusamy, Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration.
Talking on demand for grants to Municipal Administration and Rural Development in an Assembly debate, he said the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board plans to implement a Rs 700-crore project to modernise drinking water supply facilities in the suburbs, which have been brought under the Chennai Corporation limits.
The water utility, Metrowater, will also set up sewerage facilities at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore in these areas.
The State Government last year expanded the administrative area under the Chennai Corporation, the city administration, to over 426 sq. km from the earlier 174 sq. km.
The newly added areas covering 42 local bodies surrounding Chennai include Tiruvottriyur, Manali, Madhavaram to the North, Ambattur and Valasaravakam to the West and Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur to the South of the city.
Waste Management Policy
The State Government will soon announce an integrated solid waste management policy to tackle the household waste generated in the urban areas.
The urban local bodies – the authorities overseeing the cities and towns – will introduce source segregation of waste. This will mean households will have to separate organic and inorganic waste for proper disposal or recycling.
The policy note said waste disposal is a major challenge to the urban local bodies and the authorities are keen on introducing the new technologies to handle waste. A waste to energy project will be set up in Tirunelveli Corporation in partnership with the private sector.
There 10 corporations – major cities – including Chennai and 125 municipalities or towns in Tamil Nadu that come under the urban local bodies under the control of Municipal Administration.