Chennai's arterial roads would become dust-free - for Global Investors Meet

During Sept last year, there was the news that the Tamil Nadu government would organise  a two-day Global Investors Meet on May 23 and 24, 2015 to showcase the State’s competitive strengths, investment opportunities etc., to attract more investments from foreign countries.  It was reported that during the GIM, Tamil Nadu government proposes to highlight :  Electronics and Electronics Hardware, Textiles, Agro and Food Processing, IT/ITES, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Automobiles and Auto Components, Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Engineering and Heavy Engineering, Infrastructure including roads, minor port development, power, Industrial Parks & SEZs, Urban Infrastructure and Renewable Energy.

In the exhibition, partner nations like Japan, USA, France, Germany, UK and South Korea and other partner organizations  are expected to participate. JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation), USIBC (US-India Business Council), KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), are some of the Partner Organisations for the event. Further, the State government also proposes to sign agreements with major industry Associations like CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and MCCI. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was  selected as a Knowledge Partner for this event and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance & Export Promotion Bureau (Guidance Bureau) will function as the Secretariat for conducting the event.

Chennai Trade Centre, at Nandambakkam, a joint venture of India Trade Promotion Organization, Govt. of India and Tamil Nadu industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), Govt. of Tamil Nadu is the proposed venue.  The  trade center is situated at a prime location in Nandambakkam on Mount Poonamallee Road. It is spread over an area of approximately 25 acres of land.

Today’s the Hindu reports that this meet is set to do some good for the city’s motorists who have been vocal about the dusty roads of Chennai giving them a hard time in the past few months, and finally the civic body has risen to the task. Faced with the upcoming mega event — the Global Investors Meet — the Chennai Corporation has planned to resume mechanised sweeping of bus route roads in many areas. “The bus routes and arterial roads will be dust-free by May. Incidentally, the proposal for clean roads was made at the preliminary meeting of the infrastructure and beautification committee for the Global Investors Meet, which is to be held here in May this year,” said an official of the Corporation. Work is likely to begin only after the civic body completes the re-laying of 192 major bus route roads in April.

The Corporation has floated bids for the zones of Thiru.Vi.Ka Nagar, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Anna Nagar and Teynampet zones. In a few months, multinational companies and private agencies that receive work orders will start using mechanical sweepers to clean bus routes. Mechanical sweepers are now being used in select locations, including Kamarajar Salai, Taluk Office Road, Sardar Patel Road and Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai. Existing mechanical sweepers are capable of cleaning the road in wet and dry conditions at the speed of 4 km an hour. “We are able to clean only 25 roads a day in a zone. Each of the three zones of Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar has one mechanical sweeper for cleaning sand and dust on arterial roads. Mechanical sweeping is expensive, requiring a litre of fuel every km,” said an official of private conservancy operator Ramky Enviro Engineers.

So, Chennai roads would be dust-free in May …. Great news ! – look forward with great expectations

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

8^th Feb 2015.