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The good and the bad

Ponmeni Jayanagar is a preferred choice

PHOTO: G. MOORTHY

GREEN Tranquil atmosphere

A city always expands at the cost of agricultural lands. Under one such extension activity, the farms of Ponmeni village transformed into residential area and came to be known as Ponmeni Jayanagar.

In 1986 Ramiah Asari and J. Krishnasamy Iyer of Jeya Kumar Publications developed the area but it evoked a lukewarm response from buyers. In 1991, S. Seetharaman and Indian Housing Development Finance Corporation promoted the sprawling 30-40 acres. During the same time, the Ponmeni Jayanagar Residents Welfare Association was formed to cater to the needs of the residents, recalls K. Anantha Narayanan, association secretary.

Pick up

The tepid attitude of the land buyers took a turn with the establishment of Jeevana Schools. "Though the land cost escalated suddenly, only a handful of plots remain idle. The area houses both upper middle class and affluent class," he points out.

It's different

Originally, the area was called Jayanagar. But later the name Ponmeni, a village of Madurai, was added to emphasise that the area is located in the village and is different from Jaya Nagar in Vilangudi.

A unique feature of Ponmeni Jayanagar is that all plots measure five and a half cents minimum. Water a prime concern of residents in any area is not a matter of worry here. The area is blessed with good groundwater potential, even during summer. The groundwater table can be raised further with the desiltation of Madakulam tank, feels Mr.Anantha Narayanan.

Yet, the residents are doomed to shell out money for buying potable water as the area lacks in water pressure. Sometimes, the water is not supplied through pipes for weeks together.

Self-contained

The self-contained area houses many doctors besides hospitals on the By-Pass road. Residents have shopping malls, restaurants and reputed schools within their reach.

Residents of all five main streets and four cross streets unite to work for the betterment of the area and their lives thereby, with the support of the association, which organises an annual family get-together with cultural programmes.

Under the Namakku Namae scheme, the area has established a badminton court exclusively for women. Similarly, the association has also set up a mini-park, which is being maintained by a nearby school.

The residents do not have much to complain about in the area. But it is the security aspect that worries them, especially chain-snatching incidents. To cater to the security needs, the association has appointed three night watchmen.

The residents dutifully segregate bio-degradable and non degradable waste to make the job easy for garbage collectors.

Except for the omnipresent mosquito menace, ill-maintained Kiruthamal river and bad roads, Ponmeni Jeyanagar is still a preferred choice.

S.S.KAVITHA

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