On the face of it, Seethammal Extension Welfare Association (SEWA) comes across as a lone wolf, cloistered in their self-sufficient world. One could be forgiven for entertaining this illusory picture of this residents’ Association.
After all, aren’t they the ones that “patrolled” their streets and kept unauthorised parking at bay? They have plonked used car tyres, which serve as pots for ornamental plants, but primarily to prevent unauthorised parking.
Aren’t they the ones that installed speed breakers and plastic cone-based traffic medians on their busiest roads — First Main Road and Second Main Road? The measure particularly slammed the brakes down on young roadside Romeos out to demonstrate wheeling skills on their pretty little souped-up motorcycles.
RP Rajkumar, president, SEWA, notes that a women’s college is located a skip away, and “this would bring these young boys with their motorcycles to the locality.”
Aren’t they the ones who willingly fend for themselves during heavy rains, with the recharge wells they installed on their roads?
While the picture of a residents’ association keeping its house in order with minimal outside help — even from official agencies — may be irresistible, it is a picture out of sync with reality.
In each of these initiatives, the Association had worked closely with the respective government agency — particularly Greater Chennai Corporation and the traffic section of the Teynampet police, seeking permission or hand-holding, whichever is necessary at that point of time.
Here is a current case of how SEWA maintains rapport with the line agencies.
The roads
Reportedly, SEWA has been tenaciously pursuing the issue of road-relaying with the office of Ward 122 of Greater Chennai Corporation.
Rajkumar shares the latest update: “We have learnt that funds have been allocated for relaying Second Main Road and Third Cross Street. First Cross Road has not be taken into consideration, as it is a cement road and intact. And, we also learnt that First Cross Street and Second Cross Street are not being considered in this round as construction activity is going on in these streets.”
The street lamps
Rajkumar continues: “We had informed the office of Ward 122 that street lamps in our streets do not offer sufficient illumination. We recently learnt that they had made a proposal based on residents’ representation, and that the project to increase the number of street lamps had been sanctioned for the whole of Ward 122.” GCC officials close to these developments could not be contacted.
