CHENNAI: For over 20 years, there was nobody to listen to their woes. Yet, Madipakkam residents voted for the Tambaram constituency with the hope that the local MLA would solve a long pending grievance - saving the area’s only water body, the Madipakkam lake.
The 70-acre lake presents a picture of neglect - encroachments along its banks, garbage dumped into it, sewage freely flowing in from neighbouring areas. All these years, neither the local panchayat nor the sitting MLA did anything to help them.
And now, the residents have given up all hope, even though the locality was brought under the jurisdiction of a newly-formed constituency after delimitation - Sholinganallur. Perhaps their worst nightmare came true when a former union minister from the ruling party a few years back signed papers, earmarking the lake for ‘development’. “We approached the Green Bench and got a stay but despite that politicians pressurized us to withdraw the plea,” said P Muthukrishnan, a Madipakkam resident since 1980. “Whenever we approach politicians, they simply ask if there is any benefit for them.” G Pappaiyah, another resident who has been living in the locality for the past 35 years, said “A sewage pumping station is coming up nearby and already gutters have been built. No infrastructure has been provided.” The sitting MLA, S R Raja, had never visited in his tenure. “Where is he? Ask him if he knows Madipakkam. We have not seen him here in the past five years,” was their curt answer.
Madipakkam also lacked proper roads that resulted in water stagnation during rains, an underground sewage system, access to potable drinking water and a garbage disposal system. It also did not have a public school, library or park. “When we were in Tambaram constituency, Madipakkam was given no attention. Even now we are on a corner of the constituency. We would garland and welcome an MLA who is ready to help us but we have no hopes. ,” Muthukrishnan said.