Chennai finally gets roads that may not crumble in first rain – Times of India

Chennai News
CHENNAI: After years of corruption, collusion and quick-to-damage roads, Chennaiites may finally enjoy smooth rides on roads that don’t wear out at the first spell of rain.
So far, after the deluge in 2021, 803 roads have been laid. These are not only of good quality but were laid as per all specifications detailed in the tender document and as per specifications of the Indian Road Congress, the apex body that lays down the criteria for such work.

And, 853 more good roads will be laid in the coming month, Greater Chennai Corporation promised Bitumen quality, road thickness, milling, compacting and right temperature of road mix are among key parameters for a good road. These were not just ignored, but rarely tested in the past. The process was marred by corruption and irregularities such as reduction of bitumen quantity, usage of adulterated bitumen and irregularities in slopes of the road from the centre to the corners.

Now, the corporation has put an end to this free-pass to contractors and introduced checks at every level of the process. Municipal administration secretary Shiv Das Meena told TOI that an assistant engineer or an executive engineer is now always on site. “We are ensuring that roads across the state are laid as per specifications. In Chennai, another layer of checks (has been introduced) in the form of IAS officials for every zone,” he said.
Chennai corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said every engineer is given a list of details to check for such as milling depth, tack coat application, thickness of road mix, its temperature, camber of the road and compaction. “Senior officials inspect these roads every night and cross-check the details (engineers) entered,” he said. Contractors must attend a meeting on specifications with the appointed IAS official before the road is laid.
Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam said many roads laid before the floods wore off in weeks. “We also need to fix accountability in cases of lapses in Chennai. The change should be in terms of policy not just in Chennai corporation but also in other departments such as highways and other urban local bodies,” he said.
There are 471 bus route roads and 33,374 interior roads. The civic body annually lays a minimum of one-third of roads. The road once laid should not be dug up and must be maintained for at least five years.
“Due to lack of interdepartmental coordination, good roads may be dug up legally or illegally by other departments or tele-communication operators. Public should be empowered to raise these issues,” said G Sathish, a resident. In response, Meena said authorities have ensured that work lists are procured from all departments ahead of the road laying process. “For instance, in Nagercoil, water scheme work is going on so we will only patch roads,” he said.
A corporation contractor said camber correction is still not done properly. “The slope of the road is the main reason for floods in the city and it should be checked before the road is laid and corrected in locations where road height has increased over the years such as in T Nagar, Ashok Nagar and West Mambalam,” the contractor said.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/chennai-finally-gets-roads-that-may-not-crumble-in-first-rain/articleshow/88985969.cms