The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Mylai Balaji Nagar residents demand civic amenities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 27, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Mylai Balaji Nagar residents demand civic amenities

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI: It has been over a decade since they were shifted to Mylai Balaji Nagar in Pallikaranai as part of an eviction drive from Mylapore to take up development work. But, the residents are still unsettled and fighting for basic amenities.

About 3,000 families, which were living alongside the Buckingham Canal at Mylapore, were allotted plots a decade ago in Mylai Balaji Nagar after the eviction drive.

The residents said that they were forced to live in unhygienic condition as the area lacked proper sewerage system and garbage clearance facility.

M. Banumathy, one of the residents, said that Mylai Balaji Nagar was reeling under water crisis despite good rains as the area did not have proper drinking water supply.

She complained of erratic water supply through street taps that provided little option for the residents other than buying water for Rs.2 from neighbouring areas or travelling long distance to fetch water. "We cannot afford such expense on water and transport with our meagre income as daily labourers," she said.

Poor drinking water quality was another issue that affected the residents.

Kalaivani, another resident, said that the water supplied recently after two months was coloured and could not be used for drinking purpose.

Several residents dump their garbage in the nearby Pallikaranai marsh as the garbage was not cleared for weeks. Besides being hazardous to the environment, this poses a health risk to the residents, she said.

Though representations have been submitted to councillors and officials in the Pallikaranai town panchayat, the authorities are yet to take measures to improve the area, the residents charged. Responding to the residents' complaints, an official of the Pallikaranai town panchayat said that the pipeline that provided water to the area was under repair.

The problem would be solved in a few days and plans were on to provide alternate day supply.

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