For residents of ward 95, which largely covers areas of Pasumalai and Tirupparankundram, life is a mixed bag of positives and negatives. While they have a large number of positives, which include systematic collection of garbage, street lamps and paver block roads in a few areas, a host of problems plague them as well.
The area was added to the corporation in 2012. While Tirupparankundram was a municipality, areas such as Thiagarajar Colony were part of a village panchayat. Giving the ward an edge is the fact that Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa resides in Pasumalai.
Traffic woesAreas near Tirupparankundram bus stand, situated near the railway over bridge under construction, see traffic snarls as a routine, notes S. Murugan, an auto rickshaw driver. “With hawkers on both sides of the road and a constant flow of traffic, it is impossible to navigate this busy stretch during peak hours. The condition of the road is bad as well and makes the stretch uncomfortable for travel,” he says.
The railway over bridge under construction is seen as the only solution to the traffic woes of people in the area. “The bridge has been under construction for three years. Even though the sides of the bridge are still under construction, it has been opened for traffic to reduce congestion,” says S. Diwakar, a pharmacy owner.
Owing to the work in progress, the bridge has mud and cement heaped on the sides, which has rendered its use extremely dangerous for motorists.
Reacting to the issues of traffic congestion, ward councillor R. Muthukumar points out that the area is full of marriage halls, a reason for traffic getting unmanageable during auspicious days when all of them host weddings or other functions. “We have, however, been informed that the construction will be completed soon and that the bridge will become fully functional in a couple of months,” he says.
Water woesResidents of Thiagarajar Colony are reeling under water crisis as the borewells in the area have dried up. “This area never used to be water starved and we could easily find water at 100 to 200 feet. This year, the situation has been harrowing,” a resident says.
The residents lament that the supply of corporation water through lorries is very irregular. “Corporation water is pumped into an overhead tank and supplied everyday for half an hour. But not many houses have corporation water taps,” says D. Muniasamy, a resident. “We are purchasing water at Rs. 5 a pot from private tankers, which is making a dent in our pockets,” he adds.
Mr. Muthukumar is aware that since the area is a newly added one, many residential colonies are in need of underground drainage. “Since there are hills on all sides, the run-off water collects in open drains whenever it rains, leading to an overflow on the roads,” he states.
In Vinayagar Nagar, the open drains on both sides of the road are covered only in a few places with concrete slabs. A resident says that mosquito menace caused by the open drains is unbearable.
In Thiagarajar Colony, M. Radhika complains that sewage water from houses in Pasumalai flood their area during rainy season. “This has been a constant recurrence and we have appealed to the local body many times to take note of this,” she says.
According to Mr. Muthukumar, development works have been given top priority in the newly annexed ward. “We have submitted estimates for laying storm water channels, paver block roads in small streets and six borewells have been sunk already. An asphalt road from Pasumalai to Jonespuram was laid recently and we are replacing and installing street lights in many residential areas,” he adds.