More roads in Chennai may get Tamil names

The Corporation council is likely to pass a resolution to rename Halls Road as Tamil Salai

The Chennai Corporation has resumed its drive to rename roads and neighbourhoods named after foreigners.

On Friday, the Corporation council is likely to pass a resolution to rename Halls Road in Egmore as Tamil Salai. However, another stretch of Halls Road in Kilpauk will not be renamed.

“Halls Road is named after a person who owned large tracts of land in Chennai. It is good the stretch is being renamed in our language,” said historian V. Sriram.

The civic body will also request the State government to find an alternative name for Kolakaranpettai, a neighbourhood in Royapettah, as residents have objected to the name.

“The government should consider renaming Kolakaranpettai after S.V. Sahasranamam, one of the greatest theatre personalities. This is his birth centenary year,” said Mr. Sriram. Sahasranamam used to live in the neighbourhood.

The alternative names for Kolakaranpettai suggested by the Tamil Valarchi Iyakkam include Agathiyar, Jayalalithaa, Avvaiyaar, Sangavai, Maniammai and Thilagavathiyar.

Halls Road had also figured in the list of 50 stretches identified by the previous corporation council led by the DMK for renaming of roads in the city. The Corporation had planned to rename 50 roads, which were named after foreigners a few years ago.

But the previous council was unable to rename the roads as it did not obtain government approval.

Some of the important roads identified then for renaming included Haddows Road, Harrington Road, Sterling Road, Stringer Road, Cooks Road, General Collins Road, Frazer Road, Flowers Road, Millers Road, Balfour Road, Blackers Road, Adams Street, Taylors Road, Greams Road, Montieth Road, Pantheon Road, and Eldams Road.