A new initiative - ‘Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam’ (North Chennai Developemnt scheme) - was announced in Tamil Nadu budget 2024-2025.
Published Feb 19, 2024 | 2:12 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 19, 2024 | 2:12 PM
Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Central railway station in Chennai. (iStock)
Marred by rain-induced floods often, people of North Chennai may have something to cheer for with Tamil Nadu budget 2024-2025 promising to address infrastructure gaps.
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu presented the Tamil Nadu Budget 2024-2025 and made a slew of focused announcements for Chennai on Monday, 19 February. The budget speech, in a candid confession, pointed to ‘acute deficiencies’ in localities of North Chennai.
Even as the budget mostly focused on welfare schemes, there were a lot of announcements for Tamil Nadu’s capital city and the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The minister said that initiatives would be implemented to develop road infrastructure, drinking water supply and street lighting facilities in the corporation.
“Various development works including the upgradation of roads will be carried out in Municipal Corporations such as Greater Chennai Corporation, at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore, in the coming year,” said Thennarasu in the budget speech.
The state government announced the extension of the Singara Chennai scheme, implemented to provide modern, world-class infrastructure and services in Greater Chennai Corporation and its 42 extended areas.
“In the last three years, 1,183 projects at a cost of ₹1,500 crore have been undertaken by this government so far. An allocation of ₹500 crore is provided in the next financial year for this scheme,” the minister said.
For this scheme, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is establishing modern public infrastructure amenities, including an urban public square with natural landscapes, exhibition halls and open-air theatres in Island Ground at a cost of ₹104 crore.
In addition, beaches at Besant Nagar, Ennore, and Kovalam will be embellished with modern facilities at ₹100 crore.
The government also said that to address vehicular traffic and congestion across the city, roads with high traffic would be widened.
In the initial phase, New Avadi Road, Paper Mills Road and Sembiyam-Redhills Road will be widened to 18 meters, while Dr Radhakrishnan Road and Kalki Krishnamurthy Road will be widened to 30.5 meters with an earmarked fund of ₹300 crore.
A new initiative named “Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam” would be implemented to address the gaps in infrastructure and development in North Chennai localities with an estimated outlay of ₹1,000 crore.
These include:
The government also decided to establish a state-of-the-art hi-tech film city in Poonamallee near Chennai, spanning approximately 150 acres, at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore.
“This city of dreams will contain studios with cutting-edge technologies such as VFX and animation, LED wall facilities, and infrastructure for film shooting and post-production activities. This will be established through public-private partnership (PPP),” said the minister.
A new project to improve the sewerage and drinking water infrastructure, and reduce water pollution in North Chennai will be initiated at a cost of ₹946 crore.
The minister also announced the revamping of major waterways of Chennai including Adyar, Coovum, Buckingham Canal, and Kosasthalaiyar.
“In the initial phase, the Adyar River which flows from Guduvanchery in Chengalpet district through Tambaram, Tiruneermalai, Manapakkam, Alandur and Saidapet before reaching the Bay of Bengal will undergo restoration and beautification through the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust. This initiative, with an estimated cost of around ₹1,500 crore, will be implemented through a public-private partnership,” he said.
This initiative would also witness the instalment of a sewage pipeline on the banks of the Adyar River as an alternative channel for sewage discharge, the establishment of 14 sewage treatment plants with a cumulative capacity of 110 MLD, and increasing green spaces by developing four parks along the riverbanks.
The state government also announced the plan to install Miyawaki forests, green roofs, vertical gardens, green subways, green screens, and planting trees along foot pavements under the Urban Greening Project across all corporations and municipalities in Tamil Nadu, including the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The government also announced the expansion of an under-implementation project in Greater Chennai Corporation — building new public toilets to upgrade and modernise existing structures and manage their operation and maintenance through the PPP mode at a cost of ₹430 crore.
The 150 MLD desalination plant to be established in Nemmeli at a cost of ₹1,517 crore will be operationalised soon, said the minister.
It is expected to fulfil the drinking water needs of Chennai city, benefiting 9 lakh people.
The budget speech by the minister also announced the extension of the “Thozhi” working women’s hostel scheme to Chennai.
It also said that the Government Dental College hospital in Chennai would be upgraded at a cost of ₹64 crore.
The speech also saw the announcement that four Olympic Academies would be established in Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and the Nilgiris to provide world-class training in various sports including badminton, volleyball, basketball and athletics.
“Apart from providing world-class training, they will also serve as Centres for Sports Science,” it said.
The government also said it planned to organise an “Indus Valley Civilization Centenary Conference” in Chennai.
“In 1924, the former Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Sir John Marshall, discovered the Indus Valley Civilization. To commemorate this event, an Indus Valley Civilization Centenary Conference will be convened this year in Chennai inviting participation from renowned scholars across the world,” the minister said.
