The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Civic problems spare not even the well-known place zone in

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Civic problems spare not even the well-known place zone in

K. Lakshmi

Woes continue unabated on counts of drinking water, underground drainage network, roads, streetlights and garbage clearance

— Photo: S.Thanthoni

Trouble travel: Ride on the battered stretch of the CTH Road near Thirumullaivoyal is a daily ordeal for vehicles.

CHENNAI: Avadi, one of the largest municipalities in the State, is famous for various wings of military establishment it houses. Comprising a cluster of areas such as Thirumullaivoyal, Muthapudupet and Pattabiram, the Avadi Municipality also serves as a chosen area for divisions of several defence establishments, including the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Heavy Vehicles Factory and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Though the municipality has a vast area of 65 sq.m. under its jurisdiction, nearly 25 sq.m. comes under the defence establishments’ control.

From a municipality in 1970s, the local body has now become a selection grade municipality owing to rapid development of the area. It has a population of 3.2 lakh spread over 48 wards.

While residents are proud of the importance of their locality – the Heavy Vehicles Factory, which manufactures battlefield equipment, and the training centres for the CRPF and the IAF candidates are here – they also have to endure various civic problems.

Roads that have been waiting for blacktopping for a while now pose a major problem to the residents.

The stretch of the Chennai-Tiruvallur High (CTH) Road, a key facility connecting the city with Tiruvallur and also providing entry to areas under the Avadi Municipality, is in a shambles.

A resident of Thirumullaivoyal, Kokila Raman, said that riding on the stretch of the CTH Road between Thirumullaivoyal and Avadi could be a harrowing experience, particularly during morning hours as motorists have to vie for space with heavy vehicles.

Interior roads in several areas are no better, the residents complained. P. Muralidharan of Kumaran Nagar said several roads in Kumaran Nagar, Govardhanagiri and Kamaraj Nagar were in bad shape. New Military Road that housed the present office of the Avadi Municipality was also battered, he said.

Several areas also lacked streetlights.

Not sufficient parks

Though Avadi is a much-sought area for residential development, there are not sufficient parks or green space. Proper streetlight facility is still a dream for residents of few areas in Pattabiram, he said.

The municipality is gearing up for Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s visit on August 9 to inaugurate a series of developmental works. The residents are looking forward to the speedy implementation of two long-pending projects – drinking water supply and provision of underground drainage network.

Basic amenities

Residents of Avadi also pointed out that several municipal schools, including those at Mittanamalli and Kamaraj Nagar, lacked basic amenities, be it drinking water facility or proper classrooms.

K.B. Devendran, president of Tamil Nadu Housing Board Residents’ Welfare Association, said the streets in sector II should also be given priority in civic works.

Besides the long-pending Pattabiram road overbridge waiting to be completed, residents of Pattabiram complained that improper garbage clearance, mosquito menace and poor maintenance of roads were major problems that needed to be sorted out. Stormwater drains that were constructed a decade ago in the area, including along IAF Road, are in dire need of repair.

Full-fledged government hospital

Avadi is also in need of a full-fledged government hospital as the underprivileged have to either travel to the city or to Tiruvallur for treatment.

A municipal official said measures were being taken to blacktop the roads, including those at Avadi and Thriumullaivoyal TNHB Colony, and to construct stormwater drains wherever necessary.

The 18 municipal schools in Avadi would soon have their infrastructure upgraded as the local body has allotted Rs.2.63 crore towards the project.

Besides setting up a compost yard at Sekkadu, the local body is also set to introduce source segregation in three wards at Gandhi Nagar, he said.

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