The Egmore constituency, which is not too far from the seat of power in the State, has one of the largest clusters of slum tenements in the city.
The five-time sitting MLA Parithi Illamvazhuthi himself says that the number of unauthorised, unapproved slums is a big problem.
“There are many complaints about lack of sanitation and frequent flooding, but how can facilities be provided in unapproved layouts?” he asks.
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Though he maintains that many of the problems exist in wards that were added to Egmore after the delimitation exercise, he says “there are no major demands. I have done a lot during my previous terms.” He points to spending Rs.4.25 crore of his constituency development fund to upgrade facilities in schools and build public toilets. About Rs.73 lakh was spent, especially on the wards that have been newly added to the constituency, he adds. Egmore or Ezhumbur, which was the name of the pre-British era village situated on the northern banks of the Cooum river, is one of the busiest neighbourhoods in the city.
Though it has some of the oldest residential clusters in the city, basic problems such as primary schools that do not function and sewage water being allowed to flow on the road continue to plague the constituency.
G.Pughazhendi of the Saalai Maanagar Residents Welfare Association, a colony that came into existence in 1961, says that areas such as Subramani Street and Pandaram Street still lack a proper drainage connection. “Sewage water flows on the road. The stormwater network is also inadequate and has to be rebuilt. There was a time when flooding was unheard of in our locality. Now, even a mild rain causes flooding,” he says.
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The Egmore constituency is made up of the following Chennai Corporation Divisions – Dr.Besant Nagar (Division 42), Thattankulam (45), Choolai (46), Park Town (47), Purasawalkam (61), Gangadeeswarar Koil (71), Kilpauk South (72), Anbazhagan Nagar (100), Perumalpet (101), Kannappar Nagar (102), Dr.Ambedkar Nagar (103), Chetpet (104), Egmore (105) and Pudupet (106).
R. Ranjith, president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (Egmore), says that sanitation and public toilet facilities are a huge problem in at least six wards that have a large number of slums. “The primary health centres and schools are non-functional in some places. The primary schools at Thattankulam and Chetpet were recently closed because there were no teachers. These are basic necessities and will have to be immediately addressed.”
He added that residents of slum board tenements have been treated shabbily with many in Kesava Pillai Park, falling in ward 45, being forced to live on a playground because a reconstruction effort is underway for more than a year.
Hookum Chand, a resident of Choolai, said that frequent power cuts are an issue in wards that fall in north Chennai. “Also, a long-term solution must be found for the recurrent flooding of roads such as the Perambur Barracks road.” DMDK candidate K.Nallathambi, who owns a cycle repair shop, says that though Egmore is a high-profile constituency, it has been neglected for a long time. “I have promised voters to address issues of basic sanitation, inadequate street lighting and badly located wineshops within three years if elected.” The total electorate of the constituency, as per the final rolls published on January 10, 2011, is 1,58,945. There are 79,306 men, 79,631 women, and eight others. There are 178 polling booths in the constituency.