Ward 87 is one of the oldest wards located in the central part of the city, close to Periyar bus stand and The Madura College.
A little over 10,000 people live in this thickly populated area which has a radius of about 3 km.
There are a number of grievances here, but they have been redressed to a major extent by councillor T. Karuppiah of the AIADMK, who is described by the residents as an active and accessible person.
Mr. Karuppiah, who moves around in the ward on his two-wheeler and sometimes on foot, says, “I have been doing my best. But for a few bitter occasions, it has been a good experience to interact with the people and officials. Problems crop up daily. Be it getting street lights, potable water or clearing garbage, I perform my role to the fullest in getting things moved.”
Criss-crossing the ward, The Hindu team found that roads were not up to the mark and vendors occupied the little pedestrian space in many streets.
Subramaniapuram 1{+s}{+t}, 2{+n}{+d}and 3{+r}{+d}Streets and a portion of M.K. Puram area are classic examples of congested roads. Apart from the vendors, roadside temples and conduct of festivals add up to noise pollution.
Haphazard parking of share autorickshaws, and “self-authorised” auto stands in front of shops and hospitals are also common here.
Residents, however, say they are used to the congestion and the songs aired through public address system during temple festivals. There are a number of small and petty shops, which are open from 4 a.m. till midnight, selling all kinds of items – beedis, snacks, eateries and stationery goods.
Most of the residents are employed in pappad units in Jaihindpuram or skilled workers running their own lathes and workshops.
Each house has a bicycle, a two-wheeler, and children studying in local schools all have cycles and laptops given by the government. A majority of the dwellings here are small, measuring 200 sq. ft. and 500 sq. ft. Bigger houses measuring over 750 sq. ft. are a few, scattered here and there.
According to Corporation officials, the ward has a little over 200 assessments with a property tax demand of Rs. 4.30 lakh this fiscal.
The ward has two schools run by the Corporation, Kambar Higher Secondary School, which has good amenities like ramp facility for differently abled children.
Some of the teachers say the laboratory built in the multi-storey building is well-utilised by Science stream students.
“This is on a par with private schools,” a teacher says.
A portion of the campus remains dilapidated, the teacher says, and expresses hope that the authorities will repair it soon.
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion here is man-made as people lack self-discipline. Many women set up their own idli shops and vegetable shops on the roadside, thus allowing limited carriage space. Passing through the main road at M.K. Puram is an art. Vehicle users need to have extraordinary skills apart from understanding the minds of pedestrians. The jaywalkers fighting with share autodrivers is a common sight here.
However, for Mohammed Kani, a shopkeeper in Subramaniapuram, the area is ideally located since it is close to Periyar bus stand. “We have everything here. Drinking water is available through taps. Street lights are functioning. The only problem is mosquito menace, though the authorities carry out fogging regularly,” he says.
Subramaniapuram, which is one among the four reserved wards in the city, shot into fame in 2008 after a Tamil film with the title ‘Subramaniapuram’ hit the screens. The councillor says he stands a good chance of being elected again on an AIADMK ticket in the ensuing election with the overwhelming support of the residents.
