CHENNAI: Empty plots have turned garbage dump yards and places for mosquito breeding in the Perungudi zone, say residents. East Bajanai Koil street, Thilakar avenue 7th cross street, and Ramnagar South in Madipakkam have empty plots where water stagnate and facilitate mosquito breeding.
“After the rains, water stagnates for days and with waste being dumped, it becomes a threat to our health. Since a lot of these are private plots and the owners don’t live here, nobody takes responsibility,” said Vimal Shankar, a resident of East Bajanai Koil street.
In Ram Nagar South main road, residents said freshwater turtles and snakes are common on the streets due to the waterlogging. The Perungudi zone covers parts of Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, and Pallikaranai among others.
RS Geetha, a social activist who is contesting from ward 187 and a resident of Madipakkam said smaller waterbodies that have been neglected over the years are on the verge of disappearing. “Eswaran Koil pond has been eaten up by encroachments. There was even a road laid on the waterbody three years ago. We have been fighting against the road but it still remains,”she said.
Both Puzhuthivakkam and Madipakkam bus stands are poorly maintained and services to the area have dwindled, said residents.”The Madipakkam bus stand used to have several services but now there is only 45 A. After we complained, we got a mini-bus service but that’s it,” said Geetha.
The bus stand at Puzhuthivakkam is used as a parking space for Metro Water lorries. Residents said the trucks have damaged several roads that were cannot accommodate their weight. “There must be an assessment of the quality of roads. In central parts of the city, if you pick five streets at random, one or two may be in a poor state. In Puzhuthivakkam, four of the five streets will have bad roads,” said Trinka, a resident of Annai Theresa Nagar in Puzhuthivakkam.