NGOs, CII to restore 22 ponds in Sholinganallur

CHENNAI: The city corporation has outsourced eco-restoration projects of 22 small and medium-sized water bodies in Sholinganallur to three private associations, days after it held a discussion with interested parties on May 10.
Corporation officials told TOI that the Rotary Club of Madras East was given the responsibility of restoring the Odai Keni Kulam, located near the Pratyangira Devi temple.Rotary Club of Madras was given the Puducherry Keni Kulam and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has taken up 19 ponds spread across zone 15 (Sholinganallur).
“We managed to sign the MoUs with respective associations within a week of holding the meeting on May 10,” said M Govinda Rao, deputy commissioner (works).
Primarily, the associations are expected to de-silt the water body’s bed and form bunds to strengthen them. “It would take a lot of work to de-silt the ponds. For instance, the Odai Keni Kulam at present has a flat bed,” said a corporation official.
The Puducherry Keni Kulam, spread out across 42,000sqm, would require an investment of at least Rs 2.12 crore. However, the corporation expects the associations to finish majority of the restoration within three months.
“The rotary clubs will use the detailed project reports (DPR) we prepared. If they intimate that they cannot take up specific parts of the restoration, the corporation would finish the left out bits. CII will prepare DPR of their own. We have asked them to prepare a report for at least nine ponds within 30 days,” the official added.
The corporation is expecting more private firms to approach them with proposals. “We have DPRs ready for another 22 ponds. Companies need to approach us,” a senior official said.