Phase II tunnel from Panagal Park to Boat Club will run perpendicularly under Phase I tunnel at Nandanam. Nandanam locality will have two stations: one for Phase I (Corridor I, Wimco Nagar to Chennai Airport) and one for Phase II (Corridor 4, Poonamallee to Light House).

Tunnelling work expected to commence first week of December, spanning 1.9 km. Chennai Metro Rail received Commissioner of Railway Safety approval, mandatory for tunnelling under functional station and existing tunnel.

Depths: Phase I existing tunnel nearly 16.5 metres; Phase II tunnel nearly 29.8 metres (98 feet) from ground. Gap between Phase I tunnel floor and crown: 6.8 metres. At Panagal Park, TBM starts at 17.3 metres depth; reaches 29.8 metres by Nandanam.

TBM currently being lowered at Panagal Park station, launch expected in three weeks. Safety monitoring via Robotic Total Stations providing real-time data on structure, settlements and deformations.

Between Panagal Park and Boat Club, mostly clayey soil expected. At Nandanam station, TBM may encounter disintegrated clay stone due to deeper strata. Train speed reduction at station not yet determined; officials note train already enters station at lesser speed.

CMRL signed a contract with Jones Lang Lasalle Property Consultants India Pvt. Ltd. valued at ₹67 lakhs (excluding GST) for preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Property Development at Alandur, Alapakkam Junction, Boat Club, Nandanam, and Wimco Nagar Depot across Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Property developments will be integrated with metro stations to generate non-fare revenue:

• Alapakkam PD linked to Phase 2 station via foot over bridge (FOB)
• Nandanam PD integrated with upcoming Phase 2 underground station
• Alandur PD integrated with Phase 1 and Phase 2 metro stations
• Wimco Nagar depot will have eight floors of property development above existing metro building

Final DPR will be available within 150 days from the letter of award.

CMRL has allowed the State Highways Department to resume the 3.2-km, four-lane Teynampet-Saidapet elevated corridor above Teynampet and Nandanam Metro stations. The ₹621-crore project is expected to be ready by March 2027. About 2.4 km runs above the metro tunnel, including 460 metres over the stations; another 655 metres is along the non-metro stretch, excluding entry and exit ramps.

Deck slabs are complete along 2.3 km, and 50 of 69 piers have been erected. Portal frames will support the deck across 300 metres above the stations, spaced 15 metres apart; installation will take at least three to four months. The stations lie 14–15 metres below Anna Salai, while foundations were drilled to just 7 metres to avoid disturbing the tunnel. A Japanese consultant reviewed the design and recommended modifications; no major flaws were found. Labour shortages have been resolved, but work is limited to six hours daily. Traffic diversions are the only remaining approval required.

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) opened a portal for residents to indicate interest in buying homes at eight proposed locations under its self-financing scheme. The registration will help gauge potential demand across Chennai and other districts. Four proposed locations are in Chennai: Anna Nagar, Purasaivakkam, Nandanam and Ernavur. TNHB urged interested residents to submit their details.

Farms and wet fields once covered areas south of Gemini Circle along Mount Road (Anna Salai), as well as Vellala Teynampet, Vanniyar and parts of Raja Annamalaipuram. The Long Tank of Mylapore supported cultivation; property names such as “Farmhouse” and “Field View” remain reminders of the landscape.

Governor Sir William Denison established Government Farm Village in 1865 across about 300 acres. William Rowntrie Robertson, trained at Cirencester Agricultural College in England, managed it for nearly two decades. About 139 acres grew crops and 36 acres held casuarina trees for construction firewood. The farm introduced agricultural methods, operated a school and sold seeds and tools.

The Madras Mail called it unproductive in 1897. By 1898, it was among India’s few operating government farms, but had shrunk to about 20 acres. Two other farms opened that year at Bellary, for cotton, and Koilpatti; both failed. The farm and school later moved to Coimbatore and developed into Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

The former land hosted Teachers Training College, parts of T. Nagar in plans during the 1920s, and parts of Nandanam by the 1950s. Roads, homes, institutions and commercial buildings have replaced most farmland.