Manali and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones secured first and second prizes in the Chief Minister's awards for best performance within the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). Awards presented by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday at Fort St George.

Rankings awarded based on marks scored across at least 10 thematic areas under the TN Urban Livability Framework: finance, revenue, solid waste management, health, education, city planning, greenery, and infrastructure. Assessment divided into 60 sub-components each given due weightage.

Manali zone improvements: over one lakh trees planted last year for better air quality; storm water drain upgrades with no major inundations during monsoon despite zone being flood-prone.

Other awards: Coimbatore corporation first prize among corporations; Thanjavur Corporation second prize; Bodinayakanur Municipality (Theni) first prize among municipalities; Arani municipality (Tiruvannamalai) second; Villupuram municipality third; Thiruvidaimarudur (Thanjavur) first among town panchayats; Karungal (Kanniyakumari) second; Chettipalayam (Coimbatore) third.

A three-decade-old water pipeline burst on Grand Northern Trunk Road at Puzhal around 2 am on Monday, causing a cave-in with a crater measuring 6 metres long, 3 metres wide and 2 metres deep. The 1,200 mm diameter pipeline carries water from the 300 MLD Puzhal water treatment plant to northern Chennai. Water supply to Tondiarpet and parts of Manali, Madhavaram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar was suspended until 10 pm Wednesday. The pipeline, laid 35 years ago when the National Highway was two lanes, now faces increased load from the widened four-lane road with service lanes. A work order to replace the pipeline under the Ring Main System project will take two years to complete. This was the first cave-in from this pipeline in five years. A similar incident occurred three months earlier on the opposite side of the road from another 35-year-old pipeline. Metro Water deployed tanker lorries for emergency supply and residents could book tankers via the 'Dial for Water' facility on the agency website. Affected wards: Tondiarpet zone; Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (Ward 71, 72); Madhavaram (Wards 25, 26, 28, 29, parts of 30, 27, 31); Manali zone Ward 17 (North Perumbakkam, Theeyambakkam, Kosapur, Chettimedu, Ariyalur, Thyagi Viswanath Das Nagar).

A 1,200mm diameter main pipeline from the 300 MLD Puzhal treatment plant burst in early Monday on GNT Road, Cycle Shop area of Puzhal (part of Kolkata National Highway). Cave-in rendered nearly half the road unusable, causing traffic standstill between Red Hills and Madhavaram. No injuries reported.

Metrowater pipeline replacement work will disrupt water supply in Zones 2, 3, 4 and 6 until 10pm September 9, affecting thousands of residents across north Chennai.

Zone 2 (Manali): Vadaperumbakkam, Theeyampakkam, Kosappur, Chettimedu. Zone 3 (Madhavaram): Ponniammanmedu, Vinayagapuram, Bank Colony, parts of Kathirvedu. Zone 4 (Tondiarpet): Entire area. Zone 6 (Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar): Areas near Perambur railway station and Kannikapuram.

Metrowater deployed additional water lorries to supplement existing fleet. Repair work coordinated with police and National Highways Authority of India. Residents can register for water delivery through 'Dial for Water' at cmwssb.tn.gov.in.

Chennai Metrowater is laying a pipeline from Madhavaram GNT Road to Madhavaram Red Hills Road to improve water supply in northern parts of the city. The project cost is ₹16.45 crore with 85% completion as of August 2026. The nearly 3.3-km long ductile iron pipeline (700 mm diameter) will divert water from Puzhal water treatment plant's central transmission main to Madhavaram booster station. Once complete by September, residents of three zones (Manali, Madhavaram, Tiruvottiyur) will receive additional 23 million litres of water per day. The project was devised as an alternate water source following the two-year shutdown of Minjur desalination plant. Nearly 1.75 lakh residents will benefit. Trenchless technology is being used to cross GNT Road avoiding traffic congestion. The project was announced in the 2024-25 State budget. However, residents reported that many areas of Madhavaram including Lakshmi Nagar, VGP Nagar, Mohan Nagar, Shastri Nagar, and Thirumalai Nagar still lack regular piped water supply, with damaged existing pipelines not yet restored.

Recently opened boating facilities at Manali, Madhavaram, Tiruvottiyur and Kallikuppam, operated by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), are emerging as affordable getaways during summer holidays.

Infrastructure: Manali lake (29 acres, Rs 25.44 crore), Madhavaram lake (66 acres), Tiruvottiyur boat house (20.17 acres, Rs 4.62 crore), Thangal Eri Park in Kallikuppam (11.7 acres, Rs 9 crore). Combined cost for Manali and Madhavaram: Rs 25.44 crore.

Activities: Pedal boats, kayaks, motorboats, water scooters, aqua zorbing. Landscaped parks, children's play areas, walking tracks.

Visitation and revenue: Manali and Madhavaram average over 7,000 visitors per month. January revenue Rs 12 lakh; March-April Rs 6 lakh each. Tiruvottiyur inaugural month 5,550 visitors, dropped to 2,000 recently.

Pricing: Motorboat ride (10 minutes, up to 8 people) Rs 500.

Safety: Life jackets mandatory. Children under 10 not allowed on pedal boats. Children under 3 generally not allowed on rides (exceptions on larger motorboats). Rescue teams on standby.

Challenges: Shallow water at Tiruvottiyur limits motorboat operations but allows kayaking. Unfinished walkways at Manali. Better roofing needed in waiting areas. Standing for selfies prohibited.