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Residents complain of unhygienic conditions at Ariyankuppam

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

eyesore: Water stagnating at Vengada Nagar in Ariankuppam.

PUDUCHERRY: Six months have passed after the Health Department came across the first “index case” of dengue from Ariankuppam in Puducherry region. But the administration is yet to address the poor hygienic condition that resulted in the spread of the disease, according to local residents.

Adimoorthy (54), a resident of Uppukaravethi in Ariankuppam, died of dengue six months ago.

Stagnated drainage water on either side of narrow lanes, garbage dumped on the streets and water-logged vacant plots are a common sight in several areas in Ariankuppam. The open drainage system passing through many streets was clogged due to unplanned construction and dumping of waste. These drainage pipes have not been cleaned for the past several months and had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Similarly, most of the streets are filled with solid waste, giving room for stray dogs and pigs to roam in the streets. Residents complain that the authorities of Ariankuppam Commune Panchayat have handed over the task of garbage collection to a private agency. Though the agency has to clean up the area on a daily basis, its personnel visit the place only once in three days to collect the waste, locals complain.

The most common problem the residents say is the large number of low-lying open places that have provided a breeding ground for mosquitoes in Ariankuppam. Leaving these plots vacant for real estate purpose has resulted in stagnation of rainwater.

B. Sarala, a resident of Draupadai Amman Koil Street, says the locals have taken up the issue with the civic authorities on several occasions. Though officials from the Ariankuppam Commune Panchayat have undertaken visits to study the problem and promised to take steps including draining of water from the vacant plots, the situation remains the same. In many places such as Thulasi Nagar and Roshni Nagar, the residents have to contribute money to drain water from the plots, some locals point out. Among the badly affected residential areas are V. Thulasingam Nagar, Uppakaravethi, Vengada Nagar, Ganapathy Nagar, Subbiah Nagar and Thulasi Nagar in Ariankuppam.

Residents complain of getting infected with viral diseases due to the unhygienic environment. Dinesh (10), a resident of Ganapathy Nagar, developed rashes on his hands and legs a few days ago. Doctors who treated him had attributed the mosquito menace to the skin problem, his mother said. The case of Dinesh was not an isolated one, according to V. S Abishekam, trade union leader and resident of Ariyankuppam. Several residents have fever and other health ailments due to mosquito problem. Excessive use of mosquito-repellents has also added to the woes of the locals, he points out.

In places such as Subbiah Nagar, the quality of drinking water has become worse, Mr. Abishekam alleges. The report of dengue and large number of fever cases reported from Ariankuppam should be an eye-opener for the Government. He appeals to the Health Department to take up the issue with the authorities of Local Administration Department to find an early solution.

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