Chennai: Though situated in close proximity to the city, residents of Ayyappanthangal panchayat do no reap any benefits that a city dweller enjoys. Proper roads, stormwater drains and proper garbage collection still remain a rarity, complain residents.
Due to the absence of door-to-door garbage collection, the residents dispose waste in the corners of the street. “Birds often scatter the garbage and leave them outside homes, thereby spreading stench in the whole locality. Conservancy workmen clear the garbage only once in 15 days,” said one of the residents of the area, adding that the area is now even devoid of dust bins as the last time the civic workers removed them, they ‘forgot’ to put them back.
When contacted, an official said workers have already been appointed to clear the garbage. Also, monsoon rains are a nightmare for the residents of Kovilambakkam and the areas in its vicinity. One of the main reasons why the water does not recede is the multiple encroachments on the canal, which is supposed to drain rainwater into the Narayanapuram lake along the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road.
“Stormwater drains are used as a dump for waste by commercial complexes and in most of the places, the sewage or food waste is let into the same. Though the idea of constructing the SWDs is to prevent water stagnation on roads, due to its mal-functioning, in most of the streets, the SWDs are more of a bother than help during the rainy season. The elevated road levels arising out of re-laying of roads over and above without cold milling, has pushed the floor levels of various residential complexes, which were built decades ago to a low level, causing inundation,” said S. Jayaraman , a resident.
