Since the December rains, growth and development in Chennai city has dipped. A lack of funds and the assembly elections have seen several major infrastructural projects getting shelved. That is a sad state of affairs for any metropolitan city. NDTV spoke to real estate and infrastructure experts to identify key projects that need to be executed quickly to get the project back on track. Here are the highlights.

Land Acquisition Must Be Easier

It was great news when the Centre finally gave its nod for the extension of the Metro line to North Chennai, but there is still a lot that needs to be done before it takes off. Land acquisition is still a major problem with officials sending notifications to acquire land, but people not giving up their land in spite of the government promising compensation that is double the market price. Months after the civic body called for public suggestions, land owners are still proposing one alternate plan for development after another which is delaying the whole process. This issue needs to be straightened out quickly.

Elevated Expressway Needed

The elevated expressway from the port via Koyembedu to Maduravayol has been shelved by the ruling government citing environmental concerns. This project can do much to help decongest traffic and ease the transportation of goods with even Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways urging the Tamil Nadu government to get cracking on this long-delayed project.

Speedier Construction of Auto-Rail Hub

The auto-rail hub in Walajabad is located 12 Kilometer to 40 Kilometer from the manufacturing plants of Automobile MNCs like Nissan, Hyundai and Ford in Oragadam, Sriperambadur and Singaperumal Kovil. The hub is expected to cater to more than one million cars that are annually produced in the region. The state needs to push for quicker completion of the project, to help boost trade and industry. This will also help bring in more industries to the region, increasing the number of jobs and improving the economy.

Four-Lane Elevated Corridor Still Stuck

The 22-km-long four-lane elevated corridor on Rajiv Gandhi Salai is expected to drastically cut down on commute times, making travelling across the city much easier. However, the draft which has been sent to the State government for its approval has still not been cleared. This need to be cleared at the earliest, especially since earlier proposals for flyovers at Tidel Park, SRP Tools, Perungudi – Apollo Hospital, Thoraipakkam- Pallavaram Radial road and Sholinganallur junctions have been scrapped.

Better infrastructure would open up land parcels, bring down prices and reinstate confidence among buyers. Completing long-pending projects, granting speedier approvals and being more proactive in welcoming industrial investment would be the best way for the Amma government to give back to the people of Tamil Nadu, who’ve voted for their governance for the second time running.

Reporter         : Smitha TK, NDTV
Web Editor     : Nikhil Narayan Sivadas, NDTV