Chennai: The Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department has directed commissioners of all urban local bodies (ULBs) in Tamil Nadu to be in the field before 7am every day and step up monitoring of civic services, sanitation and infrastructure works.In a communication issued to commissioners, engineers and officials, MAWS secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi instructed officers to conduct regular field inspections and accord top priority to public grievances related to water supply, solid and liquid waste management, potholes, streetlights and other civic issues.To improve accountability, local bodies have been asked to regularly verify attendance records and cross-check biometric data with actual staff presence to eliminate ghost entries. Commissioners have also been directed to review sand sweeping operations and strengthen efforts to improve greenery by utilising open space reservation (OSR) lands, waterbodies and avenue spaces. The department said only saplings taller than five feet should be planted and maintained, with CSR funds tapped wherever feasible.The communication called for the beautification of traffic islands with greenery, fountains and lighting, and directed local bodies to remove unauthorised posters daily, permitting them only in designated locations.ULBs have also been instructed to hold detailed conservancy review meetings every Saturday to assess source segregation, composting, biomining and road-cleaning activities. Weekly reviews of revenue collection and defaulters have also been mandated.The department stressed transparency and timely disposal of building plan approvals, warning against delays and unnecessary queries. Regular and surprise inspections of hospitals and schools have been ordered to improve infrastructure and service quality.Commissioners have also been asked to monitor stray dog control measures and the animal birth control programme, while ensuring quality and timely execution of road, water supply, underground sewerage and building projects through regular field inspections and technical checks.
