Pre-monsoon push: Rs 150 cr road works on track, claims GCC as unpaid bills pose hurdle

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to lay roads worth Rs 150 crore during the first phase ahead of the northeast monsoon under the Chief Minister's Integrated Urban Transformation Mission (CMIUTM), giving priority to Bus Route Roads (BRR).

The initiative forms part of a broader Rs 300 crore project announced by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department during the recent assembly session, covering a distance of 360 km across the city.

Speaking to DT Next, GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran said detailed estimates have been prepared for the stretches. "As a first phase, roads worth Rs 150 crore will commence, and priority will be given to BRR roads, which will be taken up before the monsoon or during the dry spell between the northeast monsoons. The sanctions are expected by the first week of October," he said.

According to MAWS officials, the objective is to build durable roads without rushing the laying process, which often results in poor quality. Full-fledged works will resume after the monsoon. "GCC has to use the pre-monsoon period to complete the base work so that tenders can be floated and quality works can begin immediately after the monsoon," an official explained.

Civic body sources revealed that GCC has submitted a zone-wise list of damaged roads to Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (TUFIDCO), where a state quality monitoring team is currently conducting appraisals.

Once the appraisal process concludes, tenders will be floated and finalised. Bituminous material prices have been fixed through Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), and around 800 damaged roads are likely to be resurfaced.

Meanwhile, residents in North Chennai have urged the civic body to expedite the works. TK Shanmugam, president of the Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Association (FNCRWA), pointed out that main and interior roads in Madhavaram and Manali are in worse condition. Highlighting Muthamil Nagar and Kadumbadi Amman Koil Street in Kodungaiyur, he noted that the battered stretches pose risks to two-wheeler riders and will deteriorate further during the monsoon.

However, financial bottlenecks threaten execution speed. R Rama Rao, president of the GCC Contractors' Association, explained that GCC already owes over Rs 2,500 crore to contractors, forcing many to depend on bank loans to carry out works. "Contractors are hesitant to take up fresh work with GCC due to this uncertainty. Because of pending payments, only a few contractors with strong financial backing can sustain their operations," he pointed out.