The area coming under Ward 178 is a mixture of old Velachery merged with newly developed areas. The peculiar arrangement of the ward has created a contrasting feature — old Velachery remains insulated from flooding whereas the newly developed areas suffer from flooding during heavy rain.
While the areas including Brahmin Street, Mettu Street, Lakshmipuram, Draupadi Amman Koil Street, Chelliamman Nagar, wedged between Velachery Main Road and Bypass Road forming old Velachery are spared from flooding, the civic authorities have very little space to carry out any civic development works except for paving of roads. The fact that the officials of the local body have been unable to carry out any civic development works in the thickly populated residential areas of old Velachery comprising more than 150 streets out of the 233 streets suffering from space constraints is reflected in the lack of playgrounds, parks, community hall and public toilets.
S. Govindan, a resident of Brahmin Street, said despite their area being the oldest residential locality of Velachery, sewage network and piped water supply were provided only a few years ago for some of the streets.
The residents of the locality also complained that the streets have become congested and narrow, adding to motorists’ woes.
The localities of AGS Colony, Vijay Nagar, Muruga Nagar, Padmavathy Nagar, Ram Nagar, and Muruga Nagar have become a well-developed residential layout with designated spaces for parks and playfields. Yet, these areas suffer from flooding every year because of their proximity to Pallikaranai Marshland and lack of desilting being carried out in the Velachery Canal. The poor maintenance of the Velachery Canal, which was constructed for channelling the surplus water of the Velachery Lake to the Pallikaranai Marshland, results in flooding in these residential areas.
Residents want the Chennai Corporation to construct a retainer wall on the canal to avoid rainwater from overflowing into the residential areas. The residents suffered heavy financial losses because of the flooding caused by the deluge in December last year though the civic authorities have taken steps to remove the scars of the deluge by increasing the height of the roads.
M.A. Moorthy, Councillor for Ward 178, said during the past four years more than 160 interior roads have been relaid, two new bus stands installed and six parks developed.
Stats
Zone: Adyar
Ward: 178
Area size: 2.2 sq. km
Population: 40,548
Voters: 24,151
Key boundaries: Velachery Main Road, Velachery Bypass Road
No. of Streets: 233
Bus Route Roads: 0
Important areas: Draupadi Amman Koil Street, Brahmin Street, Mettu Street, Ram Nagar, Vijay Nagar, AGS Colony, MGR Nagar
No. of parks: 8
No. of playgrounds: 0
Community hall: 0
Amma Unavagam: 1
Public toilets: 3
Anganwadis: 2
Councillor: M.A. Moorthy, AIADMK Phone: 9445467178
Assistant Engineer phone: 9445190778
