“This ward can be appreciated for one thing. It has no TASMAC outlet,” says councillor Kalavathi Devadas with pride.
A first-time councillor elected from ward 82 on the AIADMK ticket, she claims to have done her best to the people in terms of providing basic amenities, but hopes to do more when the Smart City proposal takes off.
Sandwiched between the famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and south-north banks of the Vaigai, the ward has a majority of daily wage earners, salaried class, merchants and professionals.
Though multi-storied buildings have come up here and there in cramped areas like North Veli Street, LNP Agraharam and Tirumalairayar Padithurai Road, the ward has some old heritage buildings and ancient temples too, like the Pazhaiya Chokkanathar Temple.
Situated close to the Vaigai river bank, the ward suffers from cattle menace, especially, along the Thaikkal streets, Padithurai and LNP Agraharam areas. Going into the roads by four-wheeler is an art as milch animals encroach a major portion of carriage space.
“There are many roadside eateries from which residents get hot idlis and paniyarams even at odd hours with different varieties of chutneys,” said Ganesan, who runs an idli shop near Simakkal junction. There are a number of famous non-vegetarian outlets which attract people even from outside Madurai. Tea shops are open here almost for 20 hours. Tea is available from as early as 3 a.m., when vegetable and fruit merchants arrive here from towns like Batlagundu, Oddanchatram and Varushanadu.
Like any other ward, the residents complain of mosquito menace. But officials from the health department blame residents for “non-cooperation” in keeping the environment clean. Apart from contributing the biggest share to the city’s garbage in the form of vegetable waste, the ward also has the highest number of fogging machines operated during rainy season. Residents here want the Corporation to clear encroachments as haphazard parking among obstructions causes artificial traffic jams. After repeated pleas, the Vakkil New Street stretch was laid recently, but officials have neglected the Simakkal stretch, which too is in a bad shape.
For her part, the councillor has got drinking water facility, underground drainage and a high mast lamp at Yanaikkal junction. Importantly, the Anuppanadi channel and the south bank of Vaigai river have been fenced for the safety of children. "
On my request, Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri got it done," she noted.
The councillor wants to build a community hall in the place of erstwhile Thilagar Thidal police station and lay paver block stones on Thaikkal streets 2, 3, 4 and 5 as soon as possible.
A Corporation official said that apart from spending from the general fund towards development, the ward had got over Rs three crore in the last five years. Under the Smart City proposal, this ward might get a major chunk of funds due to its proximity to the Meenakshi Temple, he added.
