CMRL phase 2 works have started, but what about the issues involved in shifting the utility lines in Chennai??
Posted on: 17/Feb/2023 9:17:27 AM
Chennai city is always buzzing with heavy traffic!!
At present, metro rail phase 2 works have been going on in many arterial roads in Chennai despite heavy traffic. The government agencies have now faced challenges regarding shifting the utility lines and preventing damage to the existing infrastructures etc.
It must be remembered that last week at the busy Arcot Road in Vadapalani the traffic was very heavy and that was due to the water that gushed out of a punctured drinking water pipeline there. The metro rail works has damaged a small portion of the drinking water pipeline here. The leak was plugged later on only.
For the sake of metro rail works, CMWSSB or Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is busy shifting its utility lines at several places in the city. The damaged water and sewer lines at various metro rail worksites have led to issues for the water utility. On priority basis, CMWSSB has taken up the repair work.
It is well known to us that CMRL`s proposed 118.9km consists of 3 corridors namelt Madhavaram to Sipcot, Light House to Poonamallee and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. To build the elevated viaduct and underground network, the construction work is going on now at full speed in several places like Poonamallee, Iyyappanthangal, Arcot Road, Vadapalani, Madhavaram, Light House, Panagal Park, Alwarpet, Greenways Road, Adyar, Medavakkam, Porur and Taramani etc.
It is learnt from the water board officials that the coordination meetings take place every month. Point to be noted is that there exists a mismatch between the records of infrastructure underneath the roads to what has been found on the worksites. This was due to enormous changes or encroachments etc for many years. It was revealed by some officers that the road boundaries have changed for every metre of sewer or water pipelines. Based on the records available, it has been difficult to fix the exact boundary.
It is noteworthy that a couple of daya back the water agency had completed a major work of shifting water lines of 500 mm diameter on Arcot Road and 900mm diameter on Kaliamman Koil Street. Roadside pumping stations would be set up to collect sewage until the work gets completed.
To shift the utility lines, similar works would be carried out on the busy Venkatanarayana Road and around Panagal Park Road etc in T. Nagar. The CMRL officials have brought out that for all the 3 corridors of phase 2 utility lines such as BSNL and electrical cables must be shifted.
By cross trenching method along the alignment, utilities upto a depth of 3m are being identified before the piling work (pillars construction for elevated viaduct) is being carried out. This was as per an officer.
