VIRUDHUNAGAR: Even as Sivakasi gears up to face its first local body election following its upgrade as a Corporation, the voters’ demands date back to the last century. Railway over-bridge, decent roads and regular drinking water supply are some of the necessities that still evade Sivakasi residents.
The city, nicknamed ‘Kutty Japan’, is a hub for firecracker manufacturing and offset printing. Over 90 per cent of the firecrackers sold in India are churned out in the dingy production units at Sivakasi. The city was assigned municipality status in 1920. Over a century later, the State government upgraded it to a corporation on August 24 last year by passing an ordinance in the Assembly. Spread over 19.6 sq. kms, the Sivakasi corporation consists of 48 wards, including 24 wards from Thiruthangal Municipality, and four zones.
Regular drinking water supply and a railway over-bridge are the long pending demands of the residents, CITU District Secretary P N Deva told TNIE. "To reach Satchiyapuram, Thiruthangal or Srivilliputhur from Sivakasi, there is no other route than through the railway gate. During wee hours when several trains pass through this route, the gate remains closed and this causes great hardship to students and office-goers. Even ambulances have had to wait long here. People have been demanding a bridge over this railway lane for the last 17 years. Once, an announcement was made but that too remained on paper," he added.
Deva also lamented that drinking water is supplied only once in 10 days to the city households. "Steps must be taken to ensure water supply at least on alternate days. Also, the roads here remain murky as the civic body does not have enough conservancy staff to regularly clear garbage bins," he said.
M Varalakshmi, a resident of Thiruthangal, recalled that the roads in the locality were dug up for laying water pipes, but they never got covered properly once the works got completed. "The roads are now ridden with potholes, concrete pieces, exposed rods and other dangerous things. Among other demands, we want the government stadium to be renovated, and the Sirukulam and Periyakulam Kanmai to be desilted. The Sivakasi bus stand was recently constructed at a cost of `1 crore, but it lacks basic facilities like drinking water and toilets. Even inside the bus stand, the roads are not properly laid. How long can this official apathy continue?" she asked.