Chennai: It was a buffalo which collected the petitions from residents of Ambattur on Tuesday.
Mahalingapuram (ward 85) residents along with a few political outfits staged a unique protest by petitioning their civic grievances to a buffalo thus condemning the apathy shown by Chennai corporation to their long-pending civic woes.
Hounded by battered roads, poor drainage system and defunct streetlights, residents said the corporation showed no heed to their demands for years.
“This area suffers from all sorts of civic problems ever since it was converted into a municipality. Now being included into the corporation has not made any difference to our plight,” said Bhagat Singh, secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation.
“The underground drainage is not properly laid as many roads are unearthed and the resultant mud is put into the nearby stormwater drains. Even the silt from stormwater drains are not being removed on time,” he added.
Singh pointed out that around 500 families dwell in the area and poor sanitation and lighting facilities have always been a hindrance for peaceful living with children and women being the worst sufferers.
However Ambattur chairman and ward 85 councillor Joseph Samuel said the road works were going on throughout the street. He also said lighting facilities were at their best in ward 85. “The drainage work is moving slow and it will also be completed soon,” chairman admitted.
“Around 350 LED lights are working in the ward and there are also sodium lamps lighting up the streets,” he added noting that some politically motivated people had triggered the protest.
