Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the Chief Minister's Integrated Urban Development Mission (CMIUDM) for urban growth and improvement of urban services.

Drainage renovation scheme for Tambaram, Chromepet and Thiruneermalai: Rs 254 crore.

Other Chennai drainage projects: Storm water drainage along Jawaharlal Nehru road from Otteri Nullah canal to river Cooum to drain water from Villivakkam, Ambattur, Korattur, Padi and Anna Nagar.

Storm water drainages in Cuddalore, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and Nagapattinam (flood prone areas): Rs 118 crore.

Modern machinery for drainage maintenance in corporations and municipalities: Rs 102 crore.

Sewage treatment plants in 15 town panchayats to prevent discharge into rivers and streams.

Tiruvottiyur sewage treatment plant renovation using Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology: Rs 42 crore.

Biogas from sewage treatment plants to be converted to compressed biogas for sale.

Legacy waste removal: 29 lakh metric tonnes from Kodungaiyur and Perungudi dump yards; additional removal from Avadi, Tambaram and Coimbatore corporations and 25 municipalities through bio mining: Rs 93 crore.

One lakh LED lights to be installed in local bodies.

Residents of fast-developing areas around Chennai, including Tambaram, have waited three decades for inclusion under Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) for improved water and sanitation services.

Comparison of services: Metro Water provides incentives for early payment of water and sewerage tax; Tambaram Corporation does not but offers incentives for property tax payment only.

Issues in Tambaram Corporation limits:

• Several areas lack underground sewage networks, affecting lakes and groundwater
• Many areas do not receive daily drinking water supply
• Residents struggle with payment process: Corporation assigns separate numbers for property tax and water charges; SMS demands cite assessment numbers for property tax but not connection numbers for water charges, hindering payment
• No expertise in finding new water sources; insufficient manpower and efficiency

Second Master Plan of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) recommended expanding Metro Water across entire Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).

A senior Metro Water official confirmed a pending proposal with government to expand operational jurisdiction of Metro Water to Tambaram and Avadi corporations, but implementation is delayed due to financial constraints. The proposal may be taken up after elections.

In Greater Chennai Corporation, residents can pay both property and water taxes using the same assessment number.

Southern Railway has proposed a new greenfield terminal at Perambur, 7 km from Chennai Central, to ease congestion at the main station. The proposal was recently approved by general manager RN Singh and has received in-principle approval from the railway board, though the Detailed Project Report has not been finalised.

Intended train shifts: 35-40% of trains from Chennai Central, including Shatabdi and Vande Bharat services bound for Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru, will be relocated to the new terminal.

Operational concerns raised:

• Shifting express trains to Perambur would require suburban trains to halt between Perambur and Villivakkam to access the fast line
• Railway would need to interchange slow and fast lines, requiring relocation of amenities including toilets, eateries, water plants and offices at en-route stations
• Restoration of suburban operations could take 15-20 years
• 2016 Commissioner of Railway Safety report recommended avoiding frequent fast/slow line shifts to reduce accident risks after a Pattabiram collision
• MTC buses may struggle to access the terminal due to heavy traffic on Konnur High Road

Alternative proposal: Rail Users Consultative Committee member suggested developing the terminal near Tiruvallur, which is connected to the suburban network with available land.

This follows the stalled Tambaram terminal project, ongoing for seven years without completion.