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        To provide for a better Greater Chennai by year 2026 with a congenial atmosphere, strong economy and make it the best place to live in, Exnora Innovators Club of Adambakkam and several residents associations have come out with certain proposals related to infrastructure and civic facilities and submitted it to member-secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

        At a consultative meeting held on 28 July at Tambaram, people's representatives of various associations forwarded their recommendations that could be included in the proposed Master Plan II.

        Under the economic category, the estates at Guindy and Ambattur should accommodate only industries alone. Traffic congestion resulting due to information technology complexes should never occur, they said.

        To ease congestion of traffic on roads on Adyar river, Cooum, Buckingham Canal, Otteri Nallah, Kodambakkam canal and Mambalam canal should have rail track and roads built along their sides. Waterways transport facility should also be given thought to, a representative suggested.

        For optimum utilisation of the existing roads, parking of vehicles on the roadsides should be put an end to. Basement parking facilities should be provided. Road junctions and narrow roads should be widened.

        Taking into account certain government offices and private offices, some of the association members felt such offices should be located outside the city such as Tambaram, Poonamallee, Thiruvallur and Red Hills areas.

        The dwelling units of housing board, slum clearance board and cooperative societies should be constructed on a large-scale for the people. Private and middlemen interference paves the way for cost escalation of land sites manifold, so it should be prevented, most residents suggested.

        Huts should never be allowed to crop up. As far Alandur is concerned, slum clearance board should remove the huts on the Adambakkam lake bed on Mount Medavakkam Salai and dwelling units should be built elsewhere.

        To enhance the resources of the drinking water III Chennai scheme, Ambattur lake, Korattur lake and Madavaram lake should be deepened and desilted, renovation proposal of Porur lake is a welcome signal and similarly Velachery lake should be maintained and preserved as drinking water source. As rainwater harvesting had been made mandatory, in a similar fashion it should be made compulsory to recycle and reuse bathroom and kitchen water, representatives recommended.

        The government should undertake construction of check dams, bore wells and deepening of all water reservoirs thereby paving way for rain water harvesting.

        As per law mentioned under social welfare measures, most of the local bodies do not make constructive contributions. Lots of playgrounds and open space reserved (OSR) are not taken over by the local bodies, rather misused. These should be taken over and maintained by the CMDA. Parks and sports grounds should be set up. In Alandur area, cricket and hockey grounds should be built.

        Solid Waste Management Act 2000 had not been implemented effectively and strictly. If plastic bags usage was banned, 50 per cent of success under solid waste management is achieved. Besides home composting and community composting should be made compulsory by segregating degradable and bio degradable waste.

        The government has been spending huge amounts to drain flood waters from Velachery and Pallikaranai areas, instead Velachery lake and Pallikaranai canal areas flood waters could be preserved at the respective areas by deepening them.

        The encroachments along the lakes and water reservoirs around Chennai should be removed and trees planted all around them for an environment-friendly atmosphere. Vehicle emissions should be strictly dealt with by the Pollution Control Board.

        All these should be incorporated in the Master Plan II, said V Kuppan, retired superintending engineer, Highways, and secretary, Adambakkam Exnora Innovators Club, while addressing the consultative meet.