Plan ahead to make Chennai a world-class city

For any city, infrastructure development is a key for its economic growth. Chennai is no exception to this trend. The southern metro, though one of the fastest developing cities in the country, still to have basic infrastructure in place. Bad roads, poor drainage system, dark streets, inadequate pavements, dismal drinking water supply and the list can go on and on. What needs to be done to make the city a truly world-class for denizens? K RAMANATHAN spoke to AJIT KUMAR CHORDIA, the newly appointed President of CREDAI-Chennai and Managing Director of Khivraj Tech Park, N NANDAKUMAR, President of CREDAI-Tamil Nadu and MD of Devinarayan Housing & Property and NIRANJAN SHARMA, Senior Vice-President of Sathyasai Foundation, to know about their views on the impending issue.

• Can you tell us any two best and worst infrastructure developments happening or happened in Chennai and how it had impacted or its possible impact in future?
  

AJIT KUMAR CHORDIA: The construction of 100 feet road of OMR has both good and bad. Good in the sense that IT companies have proliferated and also huge residential development followed. However, it was badly executed, as the service roads were and even today have not completed. Peak hour traffic movement is slow, the proposed construction of flyovers is long overdue and public transport is poor. The development on the Bangalore Highway also suffers similar lag, as roads are not completed and development overtakes infrastructure.

Next good thing to watch in Chennai will be the Outer Ring Road. I see huge development on this stretch. This road is expected to be 200 ft and if completed in full unlike in bits in pieces like OMR, it will spur huge activity.

N NANDAKUMAR: One of the remarkable infrastructure developments worth mentioning is the creation of the Chennai Trade Centre, which is seeing round-the-year patronage. The parking and overall infrastructure is currently reflecting signs of adequacy and has not impacted the passage of routine traffic unless otherwise hampered by VVIP movements. Yet another development is the retention of the green space in the heart of mount road (Horticultural Park), which does bring about a commensurate balancing of the eco system in the otherwise concrete jungle.

In the case of infrastructure projects, which have not brought about significant value addition, and worth mentioning here are the flyovers constructed in Alwarpet and in Adyar leading to Latice Bridge Road, wherein these creations have only complicated the movement of vehicular traffic resulting in unprecedented choking.

NIRANJAN SHARMA: Infrastructure in Chennai in general is awful and needs better planning from qualified architects. I feel Kodambakkam over bridge on famous Arcot Road, which connects arterial Anna Salai and Nungambakkam to Western Chennai’s key areas, was a bad planning. The bridge and the entire Arcot Road, which extends up to Porur Junction, need to be widened. But, due to encroachments and other administrative wrangles, people suffer and so the surrounding areas. They should have provided adequate space for future planning on both sides while constructing the bridge some forty years ago. Another bottleneck is Numgambakkam subway, which too suffers, as there is no provision for future expansion. The planning is done whenever there is any crisis and not anticipating one in future. Chandigarh model should be adopted. Underground drainage, water and power distribution and connecting roads all need a complete re-planning.

On positive side, the proposed over bridge from Central Railway Station to Aminchakarai junction would reduce the traffic on the arterial Ponnamalle High Road. But this project is still to get approved. Simiularly, the proposed monorail project too will improve the transportation networks significantly in certain unexplored areas.

The ongoing metro rail project is running behind the schedule. This project should have been conceived a decade back and now, even it becomes operational in 2015, it won’t serve the purpose fully, as demand would be much more than what is being offered.

• According to you where we lag behind in providing the best infrastructure to homebuyers?
  

AJIT KUMAR CHORDIA: Water and sewerage supply, and public transport. In addition to roads we need this to go hand-in-hand. When the government collects huge infrastructure and amenities charges for the homeowners, it must provide this also. Buying water through tankers is very expensive and unsustainable.

N NANDAKUMAR: Currently the city is developing laterally in different directions. Unfortunately developments are being done even before basic infrastructure and social infrastructure are available. The creation of basic infrastructure and social infrastructure is primarily vested with the Government and unless the Government maintains pace in creation of the above, the development activities undertaken by private developers may not result in holistic habitation.

NIRANJAN SHARMA: I have been in Chennai for more than two decades. There is a basic fault in urban planning here. People don’t learn from mistakes. There have been many instances of flooding due to improper drainage system. Till now, the situation is same, though efforts are on to construct separate drains to take away excess rainwater. However, due to poor planning in some places, people divert sewage into these drains. So, we must plan for future. Here authorities plan it ‘as-and-when-required’ basis. Officials should go to other states and countries and study the sewage disposal model there. Nowhere I have seen the sewage lines go through the center of the road. This is bad planning. The government should take initiative to improve the living condition of people by providing good roads, better sanitary condition, uninterrupted water and power supply, efficient sewage and garbage disposal system etc. Importantly, new areas should be developed after providing a complete living condition there.

• Why even within city people suffer due to lack of basic infrastructure?
  

AJIT KUMAR CHORDIA: Within city while drainage connection and water supply is reasonable, here it is only the quantity of water supplied is the problem. City planning should go hand- in-hand with the growth of population density.

N NANDAKUMAR: The existing infrastructure in Chennai city is significantly aged and though modernisation and upgradation is apace, the rate of growth with influx of urban population versus the progress of infrastructure are disproportionate. As a result, there are perpetual constraints for people within the city.

NIRANJAN SHARMA: As I told earlier, planning is the key. We have failed to develop the city fully but are developing outskirts. Within the city, the roads are in awful state in many areas. More so, the height of the road is getting increased notwithstanding the fact that the adjacent houses are getting dwarfed and are vulnerable for inundation during rainy season in the absence of proper drainage system. Milling system has not been followed to re-lay old roads. Residents complain of inadequate water and power supply. We have been making multi-storey buildings but sans basic infrastructure.

Several residents in Mugappair, Annanagar, Maduravoil, Amabattur, Porur, and even posh areas in Virugabakkam, Valasaravakkam, etc complain of frequent disruption in power and water supply. Roads in many areas are in pathetic condition. So, it is the duty of the administration to take a good care of the infrastructure. They should first improve the basic infrastructure within city and then concentrate on outskirts, as infrastructure is important for economic development.

• What best can be done to make the facilities in Chennai a world-class?
  

AJIT KUMAR CHORDIA: Adopting green initiatives like encouraging recycling of waste water, smaller desalination plants for fresh water, extending MRT or mono rail to peripheral regions will result in making Chennai a world class city. We must look at Singapore for inspiration.

N NANDAKUMAR: A drastic review on the maximisation of land utilisation in allowing hi-density developments bringing regimented classification of developments and delineating commercial zones will enhance the asset quality in addition to propelling the capability of the urban habitat. With enhanced patronage of the public transport system, which can happen with practicable and qualitative public transport system in place, Chennai can become comparable with world-class metros.

NIRANJAN SHARMA: Apart from improving basic infrastructure, the city needs better transport system. Though we are developing metro rail, it should have been here a decade back. Our planning does not match with the population growth and its need. Secondly, we have to learn from certain developed cities like Chandigarh, Pune etc. For example, Chandigarh was planned in 1950s keeping in mind the growth of the city in next 100 years. Apart from dependable transport system, we need to concentrate on other basics such as safety and security of residents, advanced lighting system, green initiatives to conserve resources and better sanitary environs to make Chennai comparable to certain advanced overseas cities.