Kasipalayam, a town panchayat, and a few wards were merged with the Erode Corporation during its expansion in 2011.
Major areas in Zone IV are Kasipalayam, Moolapalayam, Vendipalayam, Solar, Kollampalayam, Railway Colony, Rangampalayam, Kallukadaimedu and Shastri Nagar and the Wards covered are 38 to 43 and from 52 to 60.
With a population of over 1.25 lakh, residential areas have mushroomed in the past years due to urbanisation and connectivity to nearby districts.
But, lack of basic amenities, including drainage, street lights, tar-topped roads and sanitation continue to be a major concern for residents. Roads that were dug for various works in residential areas for laying water pipelines and for underground sewerage schemes were yet to be re-laid forcing residents to stage protests at the zonal office.
At Vendipalayam, sewage mixes with water and stagnates near the railway-underpass throughout the year. “Sanitation is a concern for residents and road users in the stretch from Old Railway Station to Solar as garbage piles up along the road”, said T. Kathirvel of railway gate area. He said that sewage from Vendipalayam continues to mix with Kalingarayan Canal at Konavaikal and no steps were taken to stop it in all these years.
There is a long-pending demand for widening the railway underpasses at Kollampalayam and at K.K. Nagar as the number of vehicles using the stretches have increased ten-fold in the last 10 years. “The Erode - Chennimalai Road connects the Outer Ring Road and it is important that the underpasses be widened to enable lorries and omni buses to pass through it”, said Shyam, a college professor.
Residents of many areas complain of increasing community dog menace and want animal-birth control programme to be implemented without delay. Flooding of low-lying areas during monsoon is common in two wards as residents want a permanent solution to the issue.
Residents wanted playgrounds, parks, healthcare centres and recreation spaces in major wards. They strongly pitch for widening Karur Bypass Road and Poondurai Road and re-laying road in the Vendipalayam-barrage stretch as it connects with Namakkal district.
A total of 88 candidates are in fray in the 15 wards and they focus on re-laying roads and overall development.
