Once an ideal destination for anyone fleeing the madding crowd, Anna Enclave in Injambakkam is no longer a highly preferred area. The reason is poor civic infrastructure.
Eight years since people started occupying Anna Enclave, none of the 12 roads has street lights, underground drainage, stormwater drains or a well-laid road. It is notable that three years ago,
Injambakkam was brought under the Chennai Corporation limits.
Residents say the developer promoted Anna Enclave as a ‘gated community’. They complain that it hardly has the features of one. Huge puddles of water welcome residents to Anna Enclave Main Road, where 90 plots are located. Each of these plots is spread across two acres. When it rains, it is difficult to negotiate these roads, even on a four-wheeler, say residents.
Currently, around 20 plots are occupied by owners, a majority being NRIs, professors, chartered accountants and doctors.
“We want to promote Anna Enclave as a gated community but the civic infrastructure is so poor that many have not yet started the construction. One ground is priced above Rs. 2 crore,” says R.K.S. Moorthy, an advocate.
Residents say many other localities in Injambakkam are better off with bitumen roads and provisions for drinking water pipelines. Long-time residents have represented to the local body in 2008 about providing amenities to the area. In 2012, they received an assurance from Mayor Sadai Duraiswamy yet nothing has come from it, say residents.
“Four years ago, we pooled in Rs. 25,000 each to bring a road roller and level the roads with sand and gravel. It’s all gone with the monsoon. Why should we pay the property tax when our roads were never laid?” says Kuruvilla Abraham, who moved into the area eight years ago.
Other residents are equally vexed with the civic body for neglecting the locality.
Two years ago, P. Magesh, a software professional, moved from Neelankarai to Injambakkam, seeing its landscape. “It is calm with plenty of greenery and with 33-feet wide roads. But the slow development of the area is really testing my patience,” says Magesh.
The area allotted for a public park is overgrown with bushes. Councillor of ward 196 V. Annamalai said the budget for laying roads and street light for Anna Enclave has been sanctioned and work will start soon.
