The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Meenambakkam, despite its small size, has its share of problems zone in

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Meenambakkam, despite its small size, has its share of problems zone in

K. Manikandan

This local body was put on the world map after the Chennai airport was established

— Photo: A.MURALITHARAN

HAUNTING: The fear of displacement is one problem bothering residents of Meenambakkam.

TAMBARAM: Probably the smallest urban local body in the whole of Tamil Nadu, Meenambakkam was put on the world map with the creation of Chennai airport some decades ago. Earlier, it was a small village panchayat sandwiched between Grand Southern Trunk Road and the northern fringes of the existing airport.

Now it is no more than a few blocks in size with a population of a little more than 3,000. Upgraded as a town panchayat in 1989, Meenambakkam is spread over 2.35 square km, but this includes a vast portion of land that comes under the airport and other facilities related to it.

If the expanse of land occupied by residents and commercial establishments only was to be taken into account, it would only be a few acres in size, authorities of the town panchayat said.

The population of the town was 2,609 according to the 2001 Census and it has grown to about 3,400 and this meagre population is accommodated in 12 wards, making it the smallest urban local body in terms of number of wards, population and expanse.

Compared to other bigger town panchayats, Meenambakkam’s annual income is enviable, touching nearly Rs. one crore, a huge chunk in the form of tax from commercial establishments and also in the form of professional tax from several thousand people who work in them. These are mostly those private companies that are involved in the storing and movement of cargo that arrives at the airport.

Small in size it may seem so; yet, managing the administrative affairs and meeting the requirements and expectations of the tax payers is no easy task. As far as streets and streetlighting are concerned, people have no problems. Cement concrete streets have been provided to all areas and all localities are well lit.

Drinking water is supplied by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and there are no complaints among residents about quality or quantity. While in the residential localities garbage generated is meagre, the refuse from commercial establishments is huge owing to the phenomenally high floating population.

The town panchayat has in place a compost yard opposite the airport and hence garbage is disposed of methodically. Residents said the condition of stormwater drains was pathetic.

Either they were choked or the slabs meant to cover them were in shambles posing certain problems on the sanitation front.

Another perpetual fear hanging over the heads of Meenambakkam residents is that of displacement.

In the past couple of weeks, residents and traders have come out in the open against any move to evict houses or shops in the name of road widening by the State Highways Department that has been trying to find a way out of the acute traffic problems on GST Road near the bus stop during rush hour.

Authorities reasoned there was no scope for any further growth due to nil land availability and further, it was surrounded by Defence Land .

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