The Salem Corporation, two years ago, began work to construct sewer in Bhagat Singh Street and Nethaji Street in Ward 26. The work has not been completed till today much to the ire of the residents.
The more than 500 families who reside in the two streets say the never-ending work affects their day-to-day activities.
D. Prakasam, a resident of Bhagat Singh Street, says the Corporation has only completed a portion of the work. The streets that were dug up for the work remain unattended. There is no place for the sewage to drain and hence it stagnates near our houses. Due to water stagnation there are lot of mosquitoes in the locality. Door to door garbage collection is nil as the sanitation worker says it is difficult to bring the pushcart inside the streets. During rain, the streets turn slushy and driving becomes a nightmare, he says.
Two months ago, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers staged a road roko urging the Corporation to expedite the works. CPI (M) urban north secretary N. Praveenkumar says that during protest, the Corporation officials had assured them that the works would be completed in a month. “The Corporation is only interested in finishing Smart City projects,” he alleges.
However, the Corporation officials says the man who took the contract for the two streets has left the work unfinished. The Corporation has decided to serve a memo on the contractor.
According to Ward 26 Councillor and Suramangalam zonal chairman S.D. Kalaiamudhan, the works were started in 2019-20. “After I was elected as the zonal chairman, I spoke to the contractor. But he is not willing to complete the work.”
Mr. Kalaiamudhan says the work will be completed soon as they have found a new contractor.
