Working hand in hand

Resident welfare associations in Nanganallur display a willingness to work closely with the elected bodies towards development of the locality, says K.S. Raghavan

December 20, 2014 08:47 pm | Updated 08:47 pm IST - Chennai

K.S. Ragavan

K.S. Ragavan

I live in Nanganallur for over forty years now. After retiring from the Chennai Port Trust, I took up social service. The focus of my work was ensuring residents of Lakshmi Nagar Fourth Stage got their basic civic amenities. Generally, associations in Nanganallur were formed about 20 to 30 years ago. I believe Thillai Ganga Nagar Welfare Association was the first in the area and subsequently other associations such as Lakshmi Nagar Bharathiar Welfare Association, Lakshmi Nagar Main (Civic) Association and many others were formed. Also, the current development in the area was made possible by the willingness of these associations to work closely with elected bodies and officials concerned.

The Lakshmi Nagar Main (Civic) Association was formed mainly for night patrolling and later extended to address other problems plaguing the neighbourhood. Now, there are nearly 34 associations under the banner of the United Forum of Nanganallur Welfare Association (UFNWA). The forum looks after major civic issues such as water supply, power supply, roads and transportation.

Water supply was restored for 1 and 2 Cross Streets, Lakshmi Nagar, as the residents suffered water scarcity for several years. The associations identified nearly ten roads in the area and insisted that officials lay them properly. With the support of the government, enough parks for children were opened, and several roads were widened and street lights installed. Stormwater drain works were completed in several areas and the street names painted properly. Clearance of garbage is done regularly and three additional transformers were installed. With continuous involvement of the associations, the government has approved regular water supply to the residents. Works involving provision of overhead tanks/sumps and pipeline connections to the houses have been completed. Almost all the roads have been laid properly and only a few are left unattended. Owing to the increase in population in the area, the welfare associations requested the elected bodies/officials concerned to provide 110 KVA substations, to meet the rising demand for power supply. The proposal has been forwarded to the government for approval and sanction is awaited. Garbage is cleared from all the streets promptly and household collection is done properly. Zone 12 (Alandur) has been certified as one of the best zones in the Corporation for removal of garbage. Also, throughout the area, LED street lights have been installed. The number of parks in the area have increased.

(K.S. Raghavan, General Secretary, United Forum of Nanganallur Welfare Associations (UFNWA))

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