Chennai Corporation fixes September 30 as deadline for road cuts by other service departments

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set September 30 as the deadline for road cuts by other service departments and has commenced work to restore major road cuts.

Road cuts will not be permitted after the deadline, and the GCC requires all line departments to conclude excavations by this date. Should the onset of the monsoon be delayed, the deadline will be reviewed based on the prevailing situation, a senior official told The Hindu. Otherwise, the civic body will authorise subsequent road cuts only after December.

According to the data provided by the GCC, the total number of roadworks taken up on interior and bus route roads is 6,812. Of these, GCC has granted permissions for 4,362 road cuts as of July 1, 2026. Similarly, so far, the civic body has completely restored 2,831 roads for vehicular traffic. Currently, 501 works are still being carried out by various line departments, including the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) and the electricity department, as per the data.

“Line departments, such as the CMWSSB, are solely responsible for restoring minor cuts made for some residential household service connections. An inter-departmental coordination meeting is conducted every Tuesday, headed by the Joint Commissioner (Works), GCC, to monitor progress of this,” the official said.

Another senior official said that recently, applications for road cut permissions had been increasing on a daily basis. This is due to the ban on new work not being allowed due to the Model Code of Conduct during the Assembly elections, followed by small spells of rain in the city. Expenses for these operations vary lane to lane and are managed using funds dispensed at the respective zone and ward levels, he said.

Uneven stretches

Some roads in the city, including in key localities such as Kilpauk and Teynampet, continue to have several bumps that cause problems mainly for pregnant women and the elderly. The official said this was due to temporary repairs made with plain cement concrete, which causes slight differences in road levels.

“This temporary restoration is not subjected to a third-party audit. The GCC engineers will be directed to inspect these temporary restorations to ensure proper road levels are maintained. The only solution to avoid bumps is full restoration, involving milling and end-to-end relaying. This work mandates a third-party audit, which will ensure better quality. But this requires six to eight months to complete. Managing traffic and pedestrian movement during implementation remains challenging,” the official added.