Bag of complaints full and overflowing

“The ward is an island bordered by the Madakulam tank. We have been neglected in implementation of development works,” says councillor Maniammal Kannan of Ward 75. Most of the residents in her ward echo this. Their bag of complaints on bad roads and water scarcity is full and overflowing.

“The once brimming Madakulam tank ensured that residents here never had to face water shortage. With poor rainfall over the last two years, the tank has not filled up and the groundwater level has also depleted,” says P. Bhavani, a resident of Madakulam Main Road. “We get corporation water supplied through lorries on alternate days,” she adds.

Ms. Maniammal says that a request for sinking 10 borewells has already been submitted to the Madurai Corporation as the old borewell pipes have been damaged . “So far only three borewells have been sanctioned. We have also asked for an overhead tank for drinking water supply but it has not been sanctioned yet,” she notes.

Residents complain that the Madakulam Main Road, which connects Palanganatham with Madakulam, has remained battered ever since it was dug up three years ago for underground drainage work.

“The road was repaired three years back and was never re-laid. The ward comprises thickly populated residential streets and people have to travel out to reach their places of work. It has become a task to navigate roads, especially during monsoon,” says C. Muthiah, who runs a diagnostic laboratory.

Another resident points out that auto-rickshaws charge double the fare to reach the interior streets. “Most of the families here own two-wheelers. However, in times of an emergency, we are forced to bring in autos and end up burning a hole in our pockets as most of them demand more money, citing bad roads,” she says.

Endorsing the views of residents, the councillor says that the bad roads hamper connectivity during monsoon. “We have been urging the corporation to re-lay the Madakulam Main Road for the last three years but no action has been taken so far.”

In most of the residential areas, including Kurinji Nagar, Roja Nagar, Anna Nagar and Muniyandipuram, open drains carry waste water from houses. “No house has been connected to the underground drainage line laid three years ago. There has been an unprecedented delay and we are not told when the connections would be given,” says Xavier, a resident.

‘ Madakulam udainthal Madurai paazh ’ (Madurai will be devastated if Madakulam breaches) is how people of the ancient city refer to the biggest tank of the area. All residents of ward 75 unequivocally support the demand for revival and restoration of the Madakulam tank which is spread over 326.7 acres.

“The tank bed was full of wild growth and a portion of it was cleared recently. After the recent rains, the tank has about four feet of water and we expect the level to rise in the coming days if the monsoon continues,” says A. Shakthivel, a member of the Madakulam Kanmai Renovation Committee.

He recalls that the tank was de-silted last more than a decade back. “If the tank is de-silted and converted into an effective summer storage, it can benefit residents of many surrounding wards, given its capacity. Though the bunds of the tank are used for dumping garbage, its bed remains largely untouched by pollution which has resulted in good water quality,” he adds.