Officials say that the Tiruchi Corporation is expediting the construction of the commercial complex at Puthur. , Photo Credit: M. Murthy
City residents have expressed concern over the delay in the completion of Smart City Mission projects in Tiruchy, which are moving beyond their scheduled completion date.
Of the 83 projects proposed for ₹965 crore in the city under the Smart City Mission, the civic body is yet to complete about 20 of them, including underground drainage network improvements.
A resident of Anna Nagar, N. Jamaluddin said, “Since most of the major roads have been dug up for underground drainage (UGD) work, residents face a tough time walking on the roads, especially during the recent rains.” Residents lament that the ongoing work on the long-delayed underground drainage project will worsen the situation during the monsoon.
M. Shanmugam, a resident, said, “Infrastructure projects like multi-level car parking will help reduce traffic congestion caused by indiscriminate parking in busy areas.”
While March 2023 was the initial deadline for commissioning the pending projects that started before the COVID-19 pandemic, the civic body has revised the deadline to June, and now as the works are still in various stages of execution Yes, they have extended the deadline once again. August deadline. A senior corporation official said, “The work is in full swing and the contractors have been instructed to expedite the civil work.”
According to officials, there has been considerable progress in the implementation of the UGD project, with work underway on about 848 km. “About 90% of the UGD work has been completed, and the remaining work on 51 km will be over by August. We have also increased the number of employees to speed up the process.
The corporation is also expediting the construction of commercial complex at Puthur, multi-level car parking at Kaliammancoil Street and heritage park at Butterworth Road, which will be completed within two months.
Meanwhile, completed projects such as fish and meat market at Gandhi Bazaar, multi-level car parking at WB Road, knowledge and learning centers at Palakkarai and Cantonment and a light and sound show at Teppakulam await commissioning. The Municipal Corporation has also completed the work of laying pipes for drinking water supply.