The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Why this prejudice?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Why this prejudice?

While the summer rush of passengers is taken care of by running special trains in Nagarcoil-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Madurai sectors, the passengers bound for Mayiladuthurai-Kumbakonam are left in the lurch. People have been left to depend upon transport corporation buses alone, which are not sufficient.

Previously there were two passenger trains to Kumbakonam, but now only one is being operated. It is therefore requested that one more passenger train be run up to Mayiladuthurai, or one direct train from Egmore-Kumbakonam be restored.

J. Sowrirajan,

Chitlapakkam

* * *

Not getting water for 15 years

I refer to the letter "No piped water supply in Kilpauk" written by Mr. Prakash Kankaria which appeared in the "Reader's Mail" in the issue of The Hindu dated May 16th. He cannot understand "what kind of pressure is required to supply water to an area that is hardly 2 km. from the city's main supply centre, Kilpauk water works."

However, residents who live within just 1 km of the same water works in Halls Road - Old Door Nos 48 to 59, the YMCA blind alley part of Halls Road, have not seen piped water for 15 years.

The low pressure is ostensibly due to some blockage or pipes of an inadequate diameter being laid, where the friction loss is too high to allow free flow of water. Though we are not qualified to correct the defect, we feel that a slight increase in the diameters of the pipes, or re-laying the pipes at a lower level, and increasing the head of the booster pump may do the trick. Mr. Mani and Mr. Jegannathan and their SE should resolve the problem.

Arun Kumar, Sadanand,

Residents of Halls Road Nos. 48 to 59

* * *

FOB a necessity

I have been commuting between Villivakkam and Basin Bridge Stations by EMU since January 2005. After alighting at Basin Bridge, some of us who have to go to the Mint side cross the tracks using the foot over-bridge. However the last stairway cannot be used as it is in a dilapidated condition. Therefore passengers are forced to climb down the previous stairway, and trespass across the last 2 tracks. I have noticed that RPF personnel pounce upon the hapless passengers who cross the tracks. It would be commendable if the Railways looked into the matter and took steps to repair the damaged stairway at the earliest.

Another problem is the shunting operations. The last two tracks are used by shunting trains, forcing commuters to wait till the train moves, making us late for office in the mornings, or causing us to miss the train while returning home.

S. Venugopal,

Villivakkam

* * *

Hit by pollution

We the residents of Sivasakthi colony in Villivakkam have to bear with dust and sound pollution in the Housing Board plots, of which only some are occupied. The vacant ones are used to park and repair heavy vehicles. The Housing board authorities are not taking any remedial action.

Members,

Sivasakthi colony,

Villivakkam

* * *

Manholes not covered

Drainage construction in Ponnambalam Salai, near Amman Koil in K.K. Nagar has been completed. But the manholes have not been covered propertly. This poses a constant danger to residents, who must also put up with the foul smell that emantes from them. It is essential that these manhole be covered at the earliest.

V.S. Balakrishnan,

K.K. Nagar

* * *

Restore bus service

The bus service PP49 (Valasaravakkam to Kovalam) used to serve T.Nagar, Saidapet, Anna University, Adyar, VGP and Kovalam. It was very useful for the residents of Valasaravakkam and Alwarthirunagar, and was also earning good revenue. Recently this service has been cancelled for reasons best known to the MTC. I request the MTC authorities to resume the service immediately.

I. Hamsaveni Thiyagarajan,

Alwarthirunagar

* * *

Erect speedbrakers

It is extremely difficult for the pedestrians to cross Periyar Road at any point, and Habibullah Road near the Post Office where it meets North Usman Road, because of the continuous flow of traffic. All MTC buses coming from Valluvar Kottam and from Mount Road and the Kodambakkam side take this road to reach T.Nagar or Vadapalani side; and there is no traffic signal or traffic police anywhere near.

Putting up a traffic signal at the junction of North Usman Road and Habibullah Road, or posting a traffic constable may not be possible. Instead, one or two speedbreakers may be introduced on these roads to slow down the traffic movement.

N. R. Shekhar,

T.Nagar

* * *

Streetlights

Senthil Nagar/ Kolathur comes under the 62nd division of the Chennai Corporation. Our colony is the only one of its kind in the entire 62nd division to show 100 per cent property tax collection for the past 12 years. But none of the street lights in 3 streets have been working for the past 6 months. We have complained to the AE-street lights several times and he replied haughtily that bulb fittings and spares are not available, and that he is not in a position to replace the 27 defective bulb fittings in Senthil Nagar.

G. Aby Varghese,

president,Senthil Nagar Residents' Welfare Assn, Kolathur

* * *

Always short of volume

The distribution of kerosene to the consumers made every month is regrettable as instead of the promised 10 litres, only 9 are given.

Several complaints to the authorities have been made but they have been in vain.

K.Kabali,

M.G.R. Nagar

* * *

Phone bill payment

Chennai Telephones' bi-monthly bills are not served on time to their clients. As a result, clients are not able to pay by the due date and avail of the facility of paying at post offices.

It also results in having to trek to GR Complex to get a copy of the bill (a pre-condition to payment) and paying in cash there, standing in long queues.

Chennai Telephones should ensure dispatch of bills on time.

A.V. Ramana Rao,

Kottur

* * *

A dumping yard This has reference to, `Garbage dumping goes on unabated here' (The Hindu 5-5-2005).

The entire area between Muthamman Koil Street, and Chakravarthi Nagar in Ayanavaram (adjacent to New Avadi Road) has been illegally converted into a garbage dumping yard and it goes uncared for by the owner of the site, the CMWSSB.

As the barricade put up by the CMWSSB has been dismantled the entire area is misused for dumping of garbage and debris from dusk to dawn.

The obnoxious odour with smoke emanating from the burnt out garbage/PVC bags, etc. causes ill health and disrupts the normal life of the residents in the area.

K. Ramadoss

President,Exnora Innovators' Club, Ayanavaram

* * *

What has made it so difficult

There has been a staggering increase in the volume of traffic over the last five years at Ashok Nagar. In addition, the actions of the traffic police aggravated the problems of the road users. The bus stops near the Udayam theatre complex are very close to the traffic signal. All the buses from Koyambedu and other places turn to their left and halt so close to the signal that the vehicles which come from K.K. Nagar and take the right turn find it difficult to negotiate the bottleneck. The road which is near the traffic signal has not been repaired for the past 2 to 3 years. The bus stop opposite the Kasi theatre is again very close to the signal. All the buses including the private engineering college buses are parked haphazardly. Recently I noticed that there is no right turn in the 11th avenue junction to reach K.K. Nagar. This is ridiculous because it means people cannot go to the ESI hospital and government peripheral hospital in K.K. Nagar. Have they done any survey or sought the opinion of the local public before implementing the traffic regulation?

Dr. R. Mani,

Member of `Citizens for safe roads'

* * *

Haphazard parking

The residents of Gandhinagar are being put to considerable hardship on account of the haphazard parking of vehicles on the First Cross Street, near Adyar signal (Gandhinagar area). Pedestrians have no space to walk on either side of this small stretch, since persons driving vehicles do not care for pedestrians. On festive days, our plight worsens since all vehicles are intent on parking on the First Cross Street and Second Main Road, Gandhinagar, thus obstructing movement.

K. Ramaswamy,

Adyar

* * *

Promise not kept

Recently, the Minister for Electricity had assured the people that there would not be any power cuts this year as power generation capacity was adequate.

But we in Mahalakshmi Nagar, West Velachery experience power cuts twice or thrice daily, inconveniencing elders and children. This area is fast developing with construction of more flats, and the power supplied through two transformers is not sufficient to meet the demands of residents. This area comes under the jurisdiction of the Asst Engineer (EB), Vanuvampet.

We request the concerned EB officials to install one more transformer for this area and solve the problems of the residents

S. Ambikapathy

Secy., Mahalakshmi Nagar Civic Forum, West Velachery

* * *

EB, civic body thanked

In response to our appeal in the Reader's Mail column of The Hindu dated January 3, the EB, Nehru Nagar, Chitlapakkam has shifted the high tension alignment post at the centre of Rajiv Gandhi Street, Muthulakshmi Nagar to one side on May 3, in consultation with Chitlapakkam town panchayat. This was done before relaying of Rajiv Gandhi Street.

We sincerely thank the EB, Nehru Nagar, Chitlapakkam town panchayat and The Hindu in this regard.

L. Sundararaman

president, Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Assn.

* * *

Lack of lighting facility

We are residents of Medavakkam, Pallikaranai area. For the past several years there has been no proper lighting facility, beginning from Velachery bridge down to the Medavakkam-Pallikaranai area. Since there is heavy vehicular traffic, the area becomes congested. Fatal accidents occur due to improper lighting. In the evenings, the area is completely enveloped in darkness. The concerned authorities should take immediate action to provide proper lighting facilities.

K. Murugan,

Medavakkam

* * *

CMWSSB reply

With reference to the letter regarding insufficient water supply at 125/1, Lake View Road, the Public Relations Manager, CMWSSB, Mr. P. Swaminathan writes:

"In connection, with the letter published in "Readers Mail" on May 16, it is to be stated that the residents of Podhigai Kudil 125/1, Lake View Road are getting water supply through hand pump for 2 hours as of now. The statement regarding the overflow of drinking water in sumps in the nearby R.K. Puram 1st Street is not correct."

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