While presenting the Budget for the Greater Chennai Corporation last year, Mayor R. Priya made 82 announcements. Of them, 40 have been completed and 36 are being implemented, according to the Action Taken Report released by her office.

Key initiatives include road improvement, beautification, restoration of waterbodies, and infrastructure upgrade. Road projects are under way across the city. But the plan to buy machines to repair potholes was cancelled. The other ongoing projects are the development of entranceways, beautification of parks, and the modernisation of crematoria.

1,114 projects completed

In line with Announcement 75, the Corporation took up 4,750 roads and footpaths for improvement at an estimated cost of ₹404 crore under several schemes. The report says ₹150 crore in State Finance Commission funds was sanctioned for roads in respect of another announcement made last year. With this, 1,114 projects were completed, and six are in progress. The expenditure is ₹112.54 crore, with the physical progress of 97.55%.

A work order for ₹254 crore from Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund (TURIF) and Nagarpura Salai Membattu Thittam (NSMT) funds was issued on August 17, 2024. A total of 829 projects have been completed and 83 are in progress under Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund, at an estimated cost of ₹57.61 crore, with the physical progress of 79.48%. Additionally, 806 projects have been completed and 72 are in progress under the Nagarpura Salai Membattu Thittam (NSMT), with a physical progress of 78.4%, according to the report.

Hiring cost-effective

The Mayor announced last year that the Corporation would buy cold mix injection pothole repairing machines. Administrative sanction for procurement and maintenance of the machines was obtained on September 10, 2024. However, the procurement was cancelled on November 4, 2024, because hiring of the machines was deemed cost-effective.

Under Announcement 77, entranceways were to be constructed on five main roads at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore. Work is in progress on ECR Road, OMR Road, and Mount-Poonamallee Road. Administrative sanction and work orders were issued for the GST Road (₹83.23 lakh) and GNT Road, Mariammal Nagar (₹50 lakh), the report mentioned.

Flyovers spruced up

Beautification of Royapuram Zone’s Thangasalai flyover is in progress, with ₹1.01 crore sanctioned. Beautification of the Peters Road and Conron Smith Road flyovers in Teynampet Zone has been approved under the Namakku Naame scheme at a cost of ₹2.87 crore.

Beautification is under way along the Central Buckingham Canal in Chennai, according to the report. Six locations were included in the project that was estimated to cost ₹4.33 crore: Navalur Nagar-Lock Nagar, Wallajah Road-Bharathi Road, and Palandiamman Temple Street. 30% of the work has been completed at Navalur Nagar and Palandiamman Temple Street. Beautification will soon start at Singaravelar Bridge to Kailasapuram Bridge and Canal Bank Road, Mylapore, to Mandaveli Bridge. Construction is 30% complete on Buckingham Canal Street near the Mundaka Kanniyamman Temple.

Pond becomes sponge park

Eight waterbodies are being restored at a cost of ₹10 crore, the report says. This announcement, being implemented by the Storm Water Drain Department, was aimed at increasing the groundwater table and preventing waterlogging. The report says administrative approval was granted for restoring 9 waterbodies at a cost of ₹7.08 crore. A work order was issued on October 10, 2024, and the restoration is in progress. A pond at MMDA Colony, Mathur, was developed as a sponge park at a cost of ₹8 crore.

The Corporation undertook the modernisation of 192 crematoria to provide better facilities to the bereaved families. The cost was ₹5.10 crore. Approval was granted for improving 7 crematoria at a cost of ₹12 crore, and a work order was issued on November 5, 2024. The Corporation Council approved improvements to 26 crematoria, at an estimated cost of ₹30 crore, and work orders were issued. The work is in progress.

Waterproofing of schools

Repairs were approved for 201 Corporation schools with waterproofing technology at a cost of ₹5.25 crore. The work was completed at 22 schools, and it is in progress at the remaining schools. New signboards with unique symbols have been installed at 155 schools, and the order to install signboards at 265 more schools was issued on December 4, 2024, the report said.

A total of 2,50,000 saplings were to be planted by volunteers on the roadsides and open spaces, and at parks during the 2024-25 financial year. The aim is to reduce pollution through proper maintenance of these saplings. From May 7, 2021 to March 31, 2023, 263,742 saplings had been planted. From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, 41,525 saplings had been planted. From April 1, 2024 to December 17, 2024, 68,815 saplings had been planted.

Uniforms yet to be supplied

Mobile veterinary vaccination vehicles (₹60 lakh) and water tanker lorries (₹1.8 crore) are being procured. A ₹2.5-crore Animal Birth Control project is pending administrative clearance. Procurement of vehicle-mounted power sprayers has not begun. Provision of two sets of school uniforms to 1,20,175 students of Classes LKG to XII (₹1.16 crore) is yet to be implemented.

A total of 255 school name-boards were proposed to be installed, and 155 name-boards have been installed. Tablets have been distributed to the Councillors for their administrative work, though the cost remains unspecified. Additionally, ₹2 lakh was allocated for continuing medical education for healthcare professionals.