COIMBATORE:Ward number 44 of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, which covers major parts of Nallampalayam and Rathinapuri, has been lagging behind its adjacent wards in terms of implementation of infrastructure development projects.
Home to a population of over 12,000, the ward also hosts a number of small business units. But the available infrastructure is neither conducive to its business establishments nor its residents.
The roads in Netaji Nagar, which haven't been relaid for years, are filled with potholes, while the drainage is chocked with bushes and solid waste. "The commencement of civic works in the nearby wards gave us hope that we will also stand to gain from them, but no improvements have been made yet to our ward," rued a resident of Netaji Nagar.
The solid waste dumped on both sides of the Sanganoor Main Road, which marks the southern border of the ward, are disposed of only once a week. The same is the case with other roads in the ward.
But Venthaamarai Balu, the Councillor of the ward, told Express that the ward has 35 sanitary workers and that it was being maintained well.
Traversing Nallampalayam Road, major parts of which have been dug for carrying out underground drainage work, has turned into a nightmare for commuters. The Councillor's contention that the road could be relaid only after the drainage work is completed, is belied by residents who claim that it was done and dusted a month ago.
While the frequency of water supply has increased elsewhere, ward 44 has yet to witness any improvement on this front. Again, the Councillor blames the underground pipeline work, which has already been completed.
The only major civic work in progress in the ward is the construction of a sump in Jai Nagar.