CHENNAI: Area Sabhas in Chennai for the present quarter were conducted in various parts of the city on Sunday, headed by the respective corporation officials and ward councillors. While appreciating the presence of corporation officials, including UPHC medical officers, at the eighth sabha held at New Street in Kaladipet, Tiruvottityur, a 46-year-old resident, criticised the absence of education officers to address issues related to schools. However, councillor V Kaviganesan assured that education officers would be present at future meetings.
Most of the concerns raised by residents revolved around the accumulation of garbage, which is not being cleared properly, and the lack of a fixed schedule for waste collection in New street and Vasantham Nagar. “The garbage collection vehicle does not come at a fixed time. Even between 6am and 1pm, it doesn’t arrive,” Rani, another resident, said. The councillor also received suggestion to install CCTV cameras near garbage bins to monitor people carelessly throwing waste on the roads.
Kaviganesan assured that, starting Tuesday, waste collection would follow a fixed schedule from 8am to 8:30am, and also requested residents to segregate waste.
Shereen Noor, a resident from Vasantham Nagar said, due to sewage of ward 14 entering ward 12, it often overflows and gets inside their houses. She requested the councillor to find a permanent solution to this. Dr R Kunguma Priya, a resident from the New street urged the corporation to assess the condition of trees in advance to prevent tree falls during the monsoon, identifying low-lying areas, and planning how to supply basic necessities to the public in case of water stagnation. She also urged the city corporation to use BSF larvae for effective solid waste management.
Dr Priya also called to implement free tuition and medicine schemes. In response, the councillor noted that these services are already being offered through the Illam Thedi Kalvi and Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam schemes. However, he acknowledged concerns about their effectiveness and said steps would be taken to improve their impact.
“For the first two months, my diabetic wife received free medicines through the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme, but in the third month, we were asked to purchase them ourselves,” said Shankar, a resident of Vasantham Nagar. He also raised the issue about the absence of a doctor at the UPHC in Sathangadu.
Other issues include constructing a pumping station, road laying, repairing damaged manholes, and tree cutting, among others.
In the meeting that was held in ward 25, among the concerns raised included installing new speed breakers on MRH road, the need for a gym building at Bharathiar Street, and the 16th-day ceremony hall at Thattankulam.
