While acknowledging slow progress of the ongoing underground drainage (UGD) works in the city, Mayor M. Anbazhagan on Monday said that he would give priority to minimising the suffering of the people due to the extensive damage to roads, lanes and by-lanes.
Presiding over the first meeting of Tiruchi Corporation Council here he said that several roads in the city had been dug up for laying UGD mains, constructing manholes and laying supply mains and other purposes. Both phase-II and phase-III UGD projects had been undertaken simultaneously in several wards in the city. He continued to receive complaints on the difficulties in using the roads. The progress of the projects was not on expected lines. The phase-III project was making slow progress. The number of workers employed by the firm, which was executing the project, was not sufficient. The firm had been asked to deploy more workers so as to accelerate the project.
Mr. Anbazhagan said that simultaneous work at various places had added to the woes of the residents. He had mooted the idea of completing all works including extending household connections in one locality and then moving to another. The officials had been asked to take effective steps to mitigate the sufferings of the people. Similarly, roads would be relaid on streets where the UGD works were over.
All newly-elected 65 councillors were given opportunity to air their grievances concerning to their wards. Most of them brought to the attention of the council the poor condition of roads, menace of dogs and stray cattle, poor illumination of street lights and lack of sanitary workers.
Responding to their demands, P.M.N. Mujibur Rahuman, Corporation Commissioner, said that the city had 2,534 sanitary workers. Of them, 150 workers had been deployed at micro compost yards. Each ward had been allotted 30 to 36 sanitary workers. Officials would be asked to check whether the workers were reporting for duty regularly in their respective wards.
On dog menace, Mr. Rahuman said that the concern of the councillors was understandable. Action was being taken to carry out sterilisation exercise to control its population as per the standard protocol. Similarly, steps would be taken to prevent stray cattle menace in the city.
V. Jawahar of the Congress belonging to Ward 2 said that Srirangam was a popular pilgrim town in the State. The residents and pilgrims were facing tough time due to absence of a bus stand, which was a long-pending demand. Steps should immediately be taken to construct a bus stand at a suitable location.
S. Muthukumar of the MDMK said that open defecation was the only resort for residents of Azhagiripuram in Thiruvanaikoil, where a large number of washer men were living as there was no proper toilet and sanitary complex.
S. Sujatha, former Mayor, representing Ward 31, said that Tiruchi was once known for cleanliness, and had received awards at the national level too. But, it had lost its glory due to poor sanitary and solid waste management. The medical officer posts were lying vacant in various urban primary health centres.
Earlier, Collector S. Sivarasu handed over a ceremonial sceptre made of silver to Mr. Anbazhagan.
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