The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A growing residential locality and its rising share of civic problems zone in

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A growing residential locality and its rising share of civic problems zone in

Kannal Achuthan

Kilpauk is one of the biggest among the Corporation’s 10 zones

— Photo: K. Pichumani

Unhygienic: Some interior roads of Zone-V such as Duraisamy Raja Street suffer from garbage clearance problems.

Chennai: The centrally-located Kilpauk zone, with substantial green cover and a large number of open spaces, is a coveted residential locality. An emerging shopping and entertainment hub, this zone is not without its share of civic problems.

Zone V, with an area of 30.19 sq km spread over 15 wards, is one of the biggest among the Corporation’s 10 zones. Anna Nagar, Shenoy Nagar, Aminjikarai, Choolaimedu, Kilpauk and parts of Virugambakkam and Villivakkam come under this zone.

Breathing space for the city

The Thiru-vi-ka Park in Shenoy Nagar and the Anna Nagar Tower Park offer breathing space for the city. Reputed colleges and schools dot the zone.

The Poonamallee High Road has several shopping centres and will soon have the multi-storeyed Ampa Mall at the Nelson Manickam Road junction.

The flourishing localities here have a problem with garbage clearance.

450 tonnes of solid waste

The zone produces as much as 450 tonnes of solid waste a day. S. Kasturirangan of Choolaimedu Exnora said that only a sustained, intensive drive at the field level could sort out the problem.

One of the spots where garbage accumulates is behind the Anna Nagar Post Office.

The lackadaisical attitude of some residents only increases the garbage problem. On Ramaiah Street in Shenoy Nagar, a few residents of multi-storeyed apartments fling garbage on to the streets.

Arul Selvan, a resident, says that the garbage is tossed out in plastic bags and spills on the streets. “People don’t want to walk a few flights of stairs to dispose the garbage in the allocated bins… Also, they don’t check if the domestic help throws away the garbage on the street or in the bins,” Mr. Selvan said.

Zonal Officer M. Krishnamoorthy said garbage clearance services were being improved. A compactor truck has been deployed in Villivakkam (south) to improve collection, he said.

Safe footpaths

Encroachments are another major problem. A. Amiruddin, a resident of Branson Garden Street in Kilpauk, said footpaths on roads have been taken over by vendors and encroachers. “Pedestrian safety depends on footpaths that are free of encroachments. Also, the Corporation should ensure that patch work on roads is even,” he said.

Welcome move

S. Sivakumar, chairman of Exnora International and an Anna Nagar resident, said the Corporation’s decision to build a large auditorium in Zone V was a welcome move.

He also commended the building of embankment walls along the Otteri nullah but insisted that drain pipes be built at regular intervals to release flood water during rain.

“Unless this is done, water from the nullah will enter houses,” he said.

Kilpauk zone chairman S. Suresh Babu said the Corporation would undertake development works at a cost of Rs. 42.44 crore during this fiscal.

Road would be laid at a cost of Rs. 15.41 crore and footpaths would be renovated at a cost of Rs. 5.47 crore.

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