Chennai Ward Watch: Madhavaram Zone’s Ward 24 is on the cusp of rapid development

Residents demand that roads where pipeline work has been completed must be re-laid quickly.

A recently constructed bridge in Puthagaram will be of vital use to residents in case of inundation during rains. Photo: K. Lakshmi

Formed by the merger of two village panchayats, ward 24 that falls under Madhavaram zone is a fast developing locality that has nonetheless managed to retain its rural flavour. With more residents settling in the area, new areas are being developed in the ward and the growing number of streets is still being enumerated.

Its proximity to areas such as Anna Nagar, Ambattur, Villivakkam, Kolathur and Retteri is one of the main reasons residents choose to settle in the ward, formed by merging Surapet and Puthagaram panchayats. Like many other suburbs, the merger with the Chennai Corporation has brought a fresh lease of life to this ward. Small buses connecting interior areas with Villivakkam and Retteri have resolved the problem of transport connectivity to some extent.

However, the ward is not without its share of problems. Residents’ delight over blacktopped roads for the first time in several years was short-lived after they were dug up for various development projects. For instance, areas such as Madavan Nagar, Ragavan Nagar, Surapet and Balavinayagar Koil Street are waiting for the re-laying of roads.

While welcoming the move to cover the ward with a comprehensive water supply and underground drainage network, residents demand that those roads where pipeline laying work has been completed must be re-laid before the rainy season.

C. Azhagumani, a resident of Madavan Nagar, said: “It is difficult to walk on the bumpy roads, leave alone riding on them. Roads become slushy even after a brief spell of rain. The work that was started nearly two years ago to provide water and drainage network need to be expedited to re-lay the roads.”

The water supply in the ward is mainly managed with the infrastructure provided by erstwhile panchayat. While street tanks have been added, some areas still complain of erratic water supply.

D.Srinivasan, a resident of Puthagaram, said the area that was badly affected in the floods last year still lacks a stormwater drain network. The existing drains at Ayyan Thiruvalluvar Salai and Santhosh Nagar Main Road too need to be widened. A bridge built across the Korattur surplus course at Puthagaram has eased the impact of floods in some areas.

Ward 24 councillor T.T.Subramani said new roads have been laid to a tune of nearly Rs. 120 crore. “There is a park in DG Nagar, Surapet. We are planning to develop another park along Kadappa Road. Nearly 3,500 streetlights have been provided in the ward. The comprehensive water supply and drainage project is expected to be completed in one year,” he said.