In the last five years, Pallavaram Assembly constituency has witnessed a significant rise in population. The constituency, which includes Tiruneermalai, Meenambakkam, Pammal, Anakaputhur, Tirusulam and Pozhichalur and Pallavaram, has 4.03 lakh voters.
With population on the rise, the civic problems in the constituency are more acutely felt.
While projects to improve basic infrastructure have been successfully undertaken in the constituency, there are still many areas in Tiruneermalai, Pozhichalur, Tirusulam, and Pammal that lack basic amenities.
Interior roads
R. Srinivasa Raghavan of Pozhichalur is among the residents who think there could be greater focus on development of interior roads.
Residents’ welfare associations of Pammal said that they got drinking water once in seven days, and in March this year, the wait had increased to 15 days.
Residents also sought the rejuvenation of waterbodies and also wanted them to be linked so that groundwater level in these areas improved.
“With the lack of an underground drainage scheme, stormwater drains are being misused. Sewage is being let into the nearby waterbodies. Similarly, the Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital, popularly known as Chromepet GH, should be developed as a multi-speciality hospital as one have to reach Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for speciality treatment,” said V. Santhanam, an activist.
Residents also wanted an immediate end to the dumping of garbage at Ganapathipuram, on the Pallavaram Periya Eri. The incomplete Radha Nagar road underbridge and the ASI issue are major irritants for the residents of Chromepet and old Pallavaram.
“Development of Hasthinapuram bus terminus, reducing Under Ground Drainage (UGD) charges and bringing them on a par with the Greater Chennai Corporation are the other issues that have not been addressed by the respective departments. Encroachments on GST Road, CLC Works Road, Rajendra Prasad Road and Indira Gandhi Road have gone up under the nose of government officials,” Mr. Santhanam said.
Garbage segregation
There is no source segregation of garbage. The local bodies, except for Pallavaram and Pammal, find it convenient to dump garbage on the banks of the Adyar river.
“Creation of a new taluk at Pallavaram from the vast Alandur taluk was beneficial to several lakh residents, but lack of amenities is a key issue related to the Revenue Department,” says V. Shanmugam, a resident of Tiruneermalai.
Z. Azharuddin Sherriff, general secretary, Lord Srinivasa Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, Pammal, said implementation of an integrated underground drainage scheme for suburban pockets like Pammal, Anakaputhur, Tiruneermalai and Pozhichalur would be on the agenda for the new incumbent. Electricity poles and wires were in a pathetic condition, he added.
