Chennai: For the past 30 years, both AIADMK and DMK have failed to address the population influx of Chennai. Close to 22 per cent of the state live in Chennai, which accounts for meagre four per cent of Tamil Nadu in geographic size.
By 2030, Tamil Nadu will be the most urbanized state with 67 per cent of its population living in urban areas and this is something logically bad for a state.
This trend will certainly increase the civic complaints thereby affecting the quality of life for those living in tier 1 cities, said a senior government official who had also served as a corporation commissioner.
Tamil Nadu is one of the most rapidly industrialising and urbanising states and is the third most urbanised state in the country in India, with 48.45 per cent of its population living in urban areas. Tamil Nadu will continue to grow its urban population and the number of voters in urban area had also increased in the past ten years. Chennai now has a total electorate of 5.92 crore and is likely to reach the six lakh crore by the next voters roll revision, official sources said.
According to state budget expenditure sheets a sum of Rs 2,428 crore has been infused for development of urban infrastructure over the past five years. Of the 6,492 works undertaken, 5,615 have been completed and the balance works are progressing. But from 2012, the expenditure to develop rural infrastructure works like improvement of interior roads, construction of bridges, storm water drain is less than Rs 1,200 crore, despite rural area accounting for 53 per cent of TN’s geographic size. And this includes the Rs 631.51 crore sanction through Nabard, sources said.
“Tamil Nadu has to change its policy as the unchecked development and urbanization as adversely affected land classification and made population influx a major problem for the capital Chennai and neigbouring Kancheepuram,” said Madras High court advocate R. Govindaraj, joint general secretary Exnora.
Chennai has been periodically expanded without addressing its urban issues like solid waste management, parking, traffic and town planning. At the same time the state had failed to prevent migration of people from districts to cities in search of job, education and health facilities, he added.
