Corpn relaying 4,000 roads to tackle monsoon, says Nehru | Chennai News - The Times of India

Chennai: As many as 4,000 roads are being re-laid across the city to prevent water stagnation during the upcoming northeast monsoon, said municipal administration minister K N Nehru on Friday.Inaugurating development works at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore, Nehru said: "The road re-laying work has been intensified, and work on 4,000 roads is in progress. However, repairs on stretches prone to waterlogging will be taken up after the northeast monsoon. Patchwork is also being carried out in pothole-affected areas."He noted that most of the stormwater drain (SWD) construction is complete. In areas that experienced waterlogging earlier, new storm water drain work has already begun, he said."There was a cloudburst over the city recently, but no major water stagnation was reported. Wherever waterlogging occurred, it was cleared within half an hour. Only when the city receives 20cm of rainfall in 24 hours does it become difficult for the existing drains to cope," Nehru said. During the recent rains, subways remained free of stagnation and traffic movement was not affected, he added.Speaking about the state-wide protest by sanitary workers, Nehru said, "privatization of waste management is a govt policy, and the chief minister has already instructed that workers be paid the same salary. Additionally, we are providing food for sanitary workers and planning housing schemes as well."The minister also laid the foundation stone for the comprehensive improvement of Nageswara Rao Park at an estimated cost of 12.2 crore. The project aims to transform the historic park into a modern urban green space under the Green Footprint initiative. The upgraded park will feature a community pavilion, a playground, an outdoor gym, an amphitheatre, landscaped green spaces, a jogging track, restored waterbodies, and children's play areas.