CHENNAI: The city is set to get more greener spaces. A gap-filling fund from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development department will ensure that.
The CMDA in its endeavour to create more liveable and planned living spaces has decided to work with Greater Chennai Corporation by providing up to 80% funds for the various projects that have been stalled due to various reasons.
As part of this initiative, places such as MC Road in North Chennai’s Thiruvottiyur area, Cathedral Road, CP Ramasamy Road, Little Mount and Race Course Road in Velachery, Taluk Bank Road, West Canal Bank Road and Canal Bank Road in Adyar and Third Avenue, Pulla Avenue, Kilpauk Garden Road in Anna Nagar will now have greener spaces and walking and cycling pathways. Their redevelopment, launched with much fanfare by the civic body, was stuck as the project couldn’t take off due to a fund shortage. Several other projects planned by the corporation including greening of spaces under flyovers, creating parks and playfields were similarly affected due to a lack of funds.
All these are set to be revived, while many others the CMDA says it will plan are set to take shape. “We have our own funds from development charges and funds from government. We will share these with other agencies such as Chennai corporation,” said CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra.
Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body and the housing development department share a good synergy and would work together to make Chennai greener.
Mishra told TOI the role of the planning authority did not end with just providing building approvals. “We want to re-plan spaces and create more green spaces. For this, we will work with the corporation and provide them with some of our funds on their ongoing projects,” he said.The corporation that is already working on its budget document for the past week has included these projects.
“For all these projects, we will work with various agencies and departments. We have funds from Singara Chennai 2.0, Namakku Naame Thittam, smart city mission and other schemes. Wherever there are small gaps, the CMDA and the housing department can also pitch in,” he said.
