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Tamil Nadu
Unhygienic: Pollution is a major problem in Tiruneermalai town panchayat. A view of the naattu kaalvai that flows through the town and seen near the -Pallavaram - Tiruneermalai Road. 
TAMBARAM: At first glance, Tiruneermalai Town Panchayat seems to be a quiet and serene suburb near Pallavaram. Among the few urban local bodies in Chennai’s fringes where farming is still on, Tiruneermalai presents a picture that is a mix of both old world charm and modern development. The Adyar river flowing through the town only adds to the beauty. Known for its Perumal temple on the hillock, Tiruneermalai was upgraded as a town panchayat in 1968. But, behind the serenity lies a plethora of problems that originate within the local body and also those that from outside. Spread over 4.8 sq.km., problems are plenty in this town, the most pressing being the pathetic condition of its main roads and streets inside residential localities. Next to Tirusulam, Tiruneermalai is the most important centre for stone quarrying and crushing activities. Decades of quarrying, some of them illegal, as residents allege, had resulted in several problems to the landscape apart from posing nuisance to residents. The two most important access roads leading to Tiruneermalai are from Tambaram and from Pallavaram. The road from Tambaram passed through Reserve Forest land and was in shambles for years and only recently were improvement works carried. Similarly, the road leading from Pallavaram to Pazhanthandalam and Tirumudivakkam via Tiruneermalai was in a pathetic state for a long time before major repair works were carried out a couple of years ago. Proper access had been one pressing complaint facing residents and it continued to be so, said Udaya, a resident of Thangavelu Street. Some streets had not been laid for decades together, neighbours said. The condition of recently-developed residential localities too was no different. For instance, Durga Colony behind the Madras Export Processing Zone in Tambaram Sanatorium was an example for unplanned development and growth. During the recent consultation on creation of South Chennai Corporation held in Tambaram, residents of Durga Colony gave vent to their ire, charging the Tiruneermalai Town Panchayat with completely neglecting their locality. They were at the receiving end of problems from the Tambaram Municipality and poor response from their local body. Residents of Ward No. 13 said that contamination of natural resources, including the Adyar river, the Tiruneermalai Lake and settling of dust from quarries in farm lands were an acute problem confronting the town panchayat. Some quarries were being illegally operated and though political parties and residents had staged protests to draw the attention of the State government, they were all in vain. Pollution was in the form of discharge of effluents from industrial units in Tambaram Sanatorium, Chromepet and Nagalkeni. “Pollution originates from Tambaram and Nagalkeni areas outside our town panchayat. But, the residents of Tiruneermalai always bear the brunt,” said Mr. Udaya. The effluents found their way into the Tiruneermalai Lake and also into the Adyar river through the ‘naattu kaalvai’ from many places, he said. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board Quarters came under the town panchayat’s limits and the overall condition of basic amenities was far from satisfactory. Town panchayat officials said that the topography of the local body was unique compared to other local bodies in the city suburbs and it was an important reason for the present state of amenities. The town panchayat had implemented a novel project of generating power from human waste and this was used for street illumination. The town panchayat’s income was around Rs.2.25 crore a year and this included a significant sum as tax from the quarries. Drinking water requirements were met with from the Tambaram - Pallavaram Combined Water Supply Scheme in addition to generation from local sources, the officials said. Of late, the town panchayat had witnessed several development works with funds being managed from its own sources and also from State government’s welfare schemes. The development works included provision of a number of bitumen-topped and cement concrete roads. They had roped in a non-governmental organisation for its solid waste management and kitchen waste was converted into manure at its compost yard.
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