COIMBATORE: The biggest ward in the Coimbatore Corporation is Ward 41 which comprises the old Maniakarampalayam area and houses a number of small and medium industries.
In the north, the Ward extends up to the Main Storage Reservoir on the Sathyamangalam Road. In the south, it touches the Textool flyover. In the east, it shares boundary with Gandhi Managar and in the west ends in Manickavasaga Nagar.
Despite the ward’s area and population, the extent of storm water drainage (SWD) coverage in the area is inadequate. More than 70 per cent of the ward was left out when the Corporation took up the SWD work in rest of the city, complain residents.
As a consequence, there is stagnating sewage that creates an unhealthy neighbourhood, they add.
The absence of SWD has also forced residents to go in for choke pits on roads, which turn into trap for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, says G. Vasu, a resident of Kappini Gounder Layout. There have been instances where vehicles have fallen into the pits and people injuredWard Councillor and North Zone Chairman C. Natarajan admits that the absence of drains is an issue. He has raised the matter in the Council and spoken to the senior officials so that the work is taken up with the civic body’s General Funds at the earliest.
The next issue is the development of the scheme road connecting Sathyamangalam Road with Mettupalayam Road. The Corporation has completed the survey of the road that passes close to the Ramakrishna Mill compound and through the Maniakarampalayam town. It has also taken steps to resettle the encroachers, he says.
But there are a few plots that need to be acquired. Until the work is complete, the Corporation will repair the damaged road and make it motorable, Mr. Natarajan adds.
The scheme road proposal will provide an 80 feet road that will be an alternative to the 100 Feet Road and Sanganoor Road.
Given the good number of reserve sites available, the Corporation should also allocate funds to develop the parks, says K.R. Jaganathan, a resident of Textool Subramaniam Nagar.
The Corporation supplies Pilloor water and there are no issues with that, say the residents.
