Ward 36 of the Madurai Corporation, which covers Shenoy Nagar, Vaigai Vadakarai and Government Rajaji Hospital, has a blend of residents, who are happy with the amenities and who are not satisfied.
While streets adjoining the GRH and in Shenoy Nagar are free of power cuts, have proper infrastructure and water supply, residents of Vaigai Vadakarai complain that they have innumerable woes.
K. Pandi, a shop keeper at Vaigai Vadakarai, says that the street lacks underground drainage facility. “The drainage has not been cleared in the past three months. We are exposed to health hazards every day because of the overflowing sewage,” he says.
According to him, the condition is worse whenever it rains. S. Santhi of Pulianthope Street says that children falling into the drain is a common sight. “Closure of the drain is one of our long pending demands.
It is not hygienic to let children play out, but we cannot have them indoors all the time,” she adds.
Mr. Pandi also rues that there is no proper supply of water in the area, which also lacks proper sanitation facilities.
The ward has three public toilets but none of them is in usable condition, allege the public. Most of them relieve themselves along the banks of the Vaigai.
“The public toilets are defunct. With water flow in Vaigai in recent days, the bushes have been cleared and women cannot use the river banks to relieve themselves. It is unsafe for us to venture out,” says M. Latha, an elderly resident of Pulianthope Street.
The integrated sanitary complex for women in Shenoy Nagar, established in 2002, remains defunct, residents point out.
They further complain that a few toilets are used as cow sheds and a few do not have water supply.
“We have been requesting the corporation authorities to hand over maintenance of public toilets and the sanitary complex in the ward to women self-help groups, but to no avail,” rues B. Selvi, another resident of Pulianthope Street.
Lack of proper water supply is another major issue faced by residents of Vaigai Vadakarai. “I walk down every day to the streets near GRH to fetch a pot of water,” says K. Jothilakshmi.
Pointing to a water tank on the street, the residents say that there has been no supply of water to the tank in the past one-and-a-half years.
“There is a single pump for around 80 families in the street. Water is supplied in the pump on alternate days,” adds Mrs. Jothilakshmi.
Presenting a contrasting picture, P. Mani Ponnusamy, a resident of Kakkan Street in Shenoy Nagar, says that all is well in the ward.
“The streets are wide, thanks to the fact that there are not much commercial establishments in the area. The streets are safer because of private guards,” he says.
“There is no power cut and the drinking water supply is good. Of late, a few commercial establishments have started venturing into the area, which has increased movement of public. Otherwise, this used to be one of the calmest areas in the city,” Mr. Mani Ponnusamy further says.
As far as the areas surrounding the GRH are concerned, traffic congestion is the only worry.
“There is chaos usually because of mini buses and share auto-rickshaws that are haphazardly parked on the road. It becomes difficult when we have to make way for ambulances as these vehicles are parked randomly,” says R. Vellaichamy, an auto-rickshaw driver.
He laments that the public seldom use the sub-way for crossing the Panagal Road, which creates more hardships.
