Thirteen years have flown by and yet wait for infrastructure continues for those living in extension areas of Madurai city

As opposition grows for merging new areas in Madurai corporation limits, a review of the infrastructure developments in the already annexed areas in 2011 has become essential and is the need of the hour. 

A recent announcement by the State government said that 16 panchayats and one town panchayat in the district would soon be merged with the Madurai corporation. 

People opposed the merger fearing additional taxes and losing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) works. 

However, the administration reasoned that as per the Municipal Act, the number of wards should be increased periodically in proportion to the total population living in urban areas.  

In a similar fashion in 2011, with an addition of 28 new wards to the previously existing 72 wards, the total number of wards was increased to 100 in Madurai city with five zones in Madurai Corporation. 

While many flayed the move, few welcomed it owing to the developments the areas would witness following the annexure with the urban body.  

But to the supporters’ disappointment, many of the 28 new wards are yet to get even proper roads, underground drainage (UGD) systems, storm water drains, among others.  

The areas that were absorbed into the Corporation in 2011 includes some important locations like Tirupparankundram, Avaniapuram, Tirunagar, Harveypatti, Iyer Bungalow, Tiruppalai, Villapuram Pudhunagar, Mela Anupanadi, MMC Colony, Kathirvel Nagar, Surveyor Colony, Chinthamani, Anaiyur, Iravathanallur, Tahsildar Nagar, Vandiyur, Masthanpatti, Uthangudi, S. Alangulam, Kannanendal, Tiruppalai, Koodal Pudur, Vilangudi, among other areas.  

K. Murugesan, former MDMK councillor of Tirupparankundram, said that the UGD works which covered a major part of the developmental projects to provide a closed sewage disposal system has not at all reached the extension areas.  

“Some of the pre-planned localities and Harveypatti and Tirunagar which were developed for workers of Madura Coats, already had UGD facilities,” he added.  

But other places which were once under panchayats and municipalities did not possess even the basic infrastructural design to bring in the developmental projects like UGD and Mullaperiyar drinking water project, he observed.  

“As most of the streets in places like Tirupparankundram and MMC Colony are already narrow, the possibility of implementing such heavy projects is implausible,” he noted.  

Administrative Issues 

Even when similar problems existed when the areas were under the administration of municipalities or town panchayats, less time was taken to get the things solved, Mr. Murugesan said.  

When the administration expands, the scope of reaching out to the top official shrinks automatically, he added.  

“In the case of municipalities, while it was the executive officer who decides on which fund should be allocated for which project, in Corporations it was the Commissioner who decides about the fund disbursement,” he pointed.  

“As extension areas are obviously located on the periphery of the city limits, the need for spending on developmental works becomes very less,” he pointed out.  

Lack of basic facilities  

In locations like Anaiyur, Sengundram Nagar, Surveyor Colony, Karuppayurani, among others, due to unavailability of UGDs and even any proper drainage disposal systems, household sewage water was being let out into the streets.  

S. K. Chockalingam, president, Sangeetha Nagar Residents Welfare Association at Anaiyur, said though the drinking water pipelines and UGD pipelines were installed in some of the places, connections required to operate the system was not given for more than six months.  

Similarly, in Bharathiyar Nagar at Karuppayurani, due to the loose pit design, the sewage water released from houses could not be let into the ground.  

“Instead, it oozes out of the earth and sometimes it stays on the surface for days together,” said a resident. 

A corporation official who wanted to remain anonymous said, in places like Karuppayurani and several other places, “residents buy water only from outside.” 

As the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level of the groundwater in those areas was above 700 ppm, the water purifiers would soon get corroded. “As even 500 ppm is considered unpalatable, 700 ppm is way too dangerous,” the official added.  

As the extension areas do not have drinking water connections, the residents to avert such situations of health deterioration, buy water every day or every week, he noted.  

“In addition to bearing all such discomforts, the residents of the extension areas must bear the burden of paying excess tax for what they do not enjoy,“ said AIADMK Councillor Solai M. Raja.

Extra burden 

“When the Corporation can function with the revenue it gets from the existing city limit areas, it choses to bring in more areas under its purview only to build up the revenue”, he alleged.  

When areas are brought under the Corporation, all sorts of taxes starting from garbage, drainage, drinking water to land plan approval, rises up to the level which becomes unbearable for most of the residents who were earlier under the village administrations, he added.  

“When the rationale behind extending Corporations is to increase the revenue, then why do they not give the people who are paying taxes the necessary infrastructure,” he questioned.  

“If it took more than 13 years to even start UGD, road works and drinking water works in the areas annexed into the Corporation, then the condition of new areas that are to be brought hereafter is unimaginable,” he stated. 

T. Nagarajan, Deputy Mayor, said, though it was delayed, the process for UGD works in extension areas, including Madurai East, North, South and Tirupparankundram at a cost of ₹471 crore had already started. 

“If the work goes at the same rate at which it is going now, all works including UGD and drinking water projects would be completed in a year,” he added.  

Chitra Vijayan, Corporation Commissioner, said that approval for most of the developmental works in the extension works were ready.  

“Once the funding and work allocation process are over, the works would be started,” she added.