Salem. A village with few hundred people in 1866 grew into a city with a population of 8.26 lakh. Though the city harnesses the potential of urbanisation, infrastructure has struggled to keep pace in the past few years. Thus, it remains a vast urban village.
Surrounded by hills, the 150-year-old city is a major trading hub, known for handloom weaving, silver anklet units, sago products, monuments, British era cemeteries and the Leigh Bazaar market. Demographic location and passing of three National Highways through the city place it as an important connecting point.
It was a village until 1857, when the British rulers renamed it as Sanitary Association of Salem and declared it as capital city of the district in 1860. In 1866, the Salem Municipal Council was formed with the then Collector Charles Norman Pochin appointed as ex officio chairman.
The city faced severe famine and epidemics from 1866 as water from the Longley Tank in Arisipalayam was used to meet the requirements of the people. With water shortage prevailing, the city was dependent on the Panamarathupatty lake on the outskirts from 1911 to 1953 after which water schemes were implemented. It was upgraded into special grade municipality in April 1, 1979 and as corporation in April 1, 1994.
Though Mettur dam was located in the district and surplus water was let into river, the city continued to face acute water shortage after which Rs. 320-crore Mettur–Salem Dedicated Water Supply Scheme was implemented.
Salem with 60 wards has an extent of 91.34 square km. Poor urban planning, lack of good roads, water shortage, and non-expansion of drains sanitation issues are some of the major issues.
The corporation’s failure to address the needs of growing population by upgrading infrastructure, improving solid waste management and motorable roads adds to the problem.
In August, 2015, the civic body passed a resolution to celebrate the 150 year of existence on November 1 in a grand manner and sought funds from the State government. Since the corporation was formed only 21 years ago, funds were declined and hence there are are no celebrations, according to official sources.
Corporations: custodians of our cities
Even as the Salem Corporation gears itself up to celebrate it’s 150 years, here is a look at the oldest and most prominent city corporations in the State, and the issues that locals think will have to emerge as focus areas.
Name of the Corporation: Salem
Year of founding: 1866
Mayor: S. Soundappan
Deputy Mayor: M. Natesan
Seat of power: Hanging Garden (currently work in progress for new building at Rs. 7 crore)
Party in power currently: AIADMK
Number of councillors: 60 (AIADMK 51, DMK 9)
Lacking in urban planning A brief history: Formed as municipality in November 1, 1866, upgraded into special grade municipality from April 1, 1979, declared as Corporation from April 1, 1994. C. Rajagopalachari was the chairman of the municipality during 1917-19.
Key issues: Poor roads and sanitation issues, failure to expand drains
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Name of the Corporation: Chennai
Year of founding: 1688
Mayor: Saidai Duraisamy
Deputy Mayor: P.Benjamin
Seat of power: Ripon Buildings
Party in power currently: AIADMK
Number of councillors: 200
Clean Cooum A brief history: The Chennai Corporation was the first local body in modern India. Initially, the civic body had powers to decide petty cases, levy rates upon inhabitants for building of schools, a town hall and a jail. Nathaniel Higginson was nominated the first Mayor. Currently the civic body issues building approval, develops roads, bridges, parks and regulates trades for the capital city of Chennai.
Key issues: Cleaning of Cooum, road maintenance, flooding during rains, mosquito control, issues of coordination with other service agencies, segregation of wastes and solid waste management, even implementation in recently-added areas of the Corporation.
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Name of Corporation: Tiruchi
Founded: 1865 (erstwhile Tiruchi Municipality)
Mayor. A. Jaya
Deputy Mayor: J. Srinivasan
Seat of Power: Corporation Main Office
Party in power: AIADMK
Number of councillors: 65
Clean but congested A brief history: F.G. Natesa Iyer, who was a senior official of the South Indian Railway Company, was the first elected Indian chairman of Tiruchi Municipality. It was upgraded as Tiruchi Corporation by merging the Srirangam and Golden Rock Municipalities with the Tiruchi Municipality in 1994. The Corporation was recently ranked second cleanest city in the country by the Union Urban Development Ministry.
Key issues: Though Tiruchi is centrally located in the State it doesn’t have an integrated bus stand. The proposal is yet to get final shape since it was mooted about 20 years ago. A plan to shift the wholesale section of the congested Gandhi Market is yet to see the light of the day. Civic amenities are lacking in many newly added residential colonies and the demand to shift out the Ariyamangalam garbage dump, where nearly 400 tonnes of solid waste is dumped every day, remains unfulfilled.
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Name of the Corporation: Madurai
Year of founding: 1970 (upgraded from Municipality to Corporation)
Mayor: V.V. Rajan Chellappa (AIADMK)
Deputy Mayor: Thiraviam (AIADMK)
Seat of power: Anna Maaligai
Party in power currently: AIADMK
Number of councillors: 100
Haven for encroachers A brief history : S. Muthu was the first political functionary to represent the Corporation of Madurai as its Mayor. Since its inception, the Mayor post had been held either by the DMK or its arch political rival AIADMK. Thenmozhi Gopinathan (DMK) was the only woman to be Mayor in the Madurai Corporation. In 1971, 13 town panchayats in the outskirts of the ‘temple’ city was included. As years passed, the Corporation, which had 65 wards since then, was expanded to 72 in the 90s following urbanisation. Again, after two decades, in 2011, three third grade municipalities, three town panchayats and 11 village panchayats were roped in to the Corporation thus taking the total wards to 100.
Key issues: Poor upkeep of city roads and lack of enforcement of laws had resulted in encroachment along Vaigai River and other landmark locations.
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Name of Corporation: Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation
Year of founding: was founded as a municipality in 1866 and upgraded to a municipal corproation in 1981
Mayor: P. Rajkumar
Seat of power: Victoria Town Hall
Party in power: AIADMK
Number of Councillors: 100
Long wait for mass public transit systems A brief history: Industrialist Robert Stanes was the first chairman of the municipality. The first finance minister of Independent India R.K. Shanmukham Chetty served as its vice chairman. The first Mayor was V. Gopalakrishnan of the Congress.
Key issues: Solid Waste Management and adequate drinking water supply issues especially in added areas haunt the civic body and conservation of water bodies within the city. The other issues include need for mass public transit system, cleaning of Sanganoor Canal, incomplete underground drainage network and storm water drainage facilities
