Residents of Anandan Street in T. Nagar are turning their attention to healthy living now that their street has finally got a concretised top and working sewage system.
Just a few finishing touches need to be made to the footpaths.
The L-shaped stretch off North Usman Road, with some independent houses and multi-storey dwelling units that once housed maybe two dozen families, is now home to nearly three or four times that number. There is also a hostel for men working in a textile shop on Usman Road. The end of the street has turned into a slum with about 500 residents.
Last September, in sheer desperation, the residents sought media support to set right their street as, for over a year, their repeated appeals to the Chennai Corporation remained unanswered.
Finally, work began in September. When 50 per cent of the work was done, the supervising officer was transferred. “Fortunately, his successor was considerate and we were able to establish a good rapport with him,” says S. Rajagopalan, whose house at the end of the street was repeatedly inundated with sewage outflow. It will be a few weeks though before the street is cleared of debris and sand.
“Too much garbage is being generated. There are two bins and they overflow in a day. We are planning to rope in Samriddhi Foundation to take up composting,” says Mr. Rajagopalan.
Another resident has proposed to improve the lot of slum dwellers. “I plan to conduct a free health screening camp for the slum residents,” says S. Meenakshi, who works with physically-challenged persons.
