Chennai: Eight years ago residents of Manali, Madhavaram and Thiruvottiyur celebrated the city corporation extension hoping that their civic woes would reduce after the upgradation of local bodies, but normal life continues to be affected. “Normal life is affected in Manali, Madhavaram and Thiruvottiyur as rainwater fails to recede. Several areas that are part of extended Chennai suffer water logging and sanitation issues are hardly affected,” said Sukumar Babu, former opposition floor leader, Chennai corporation.
And the worse is that the corporation’s proposed stormwater drain proposal in extended areas hangs in balance and there are reports stating the corporation is finding it difficult to execute the project as no funds are coming from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, he alleged. “The situation is bad and sewer has entered into the low lying areas of north Chennai. Further, there is no hope that our locality will improve”, said A Ganesh, a resident of Lakshmi Koil near Thiruvottiyur.
“For the past 10 days several interior roads in Manali new town still suffer waterlogging and there is are no visible stormwater drains. The local officials neglect our locality terming it a low lying area. If this is the case, then why did the state allowed us to construct buildings,” wonders T. Aruna Giri, a resident of Mathur in Manali zone. Corporation officials admit that they do not have the funds to develop the areas. But nearby RK Nagar has got LED lights and the roads were recently laid, but the situation in areas beyond RK Nagar is not good, said a former AIADMK councillor wishing not to be named. “I have personally met the local corporation engineer three months back seeking better roads and drains, but as there is no council even the voice of local politicians goes unheard,” the former woman councillor rued.
