Water logging may drown votes in Anna
Posted 02 April 2011, by Arun Janardhanan, Time of India, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
CHENNAI: For several years now, Anna Nagar has been struggling to stay afloat, literally. Every monsoon, areas like the MMDA Colony gets submerged in water. “Apart from water logging, we also have to live with uncleared garbage, dumping of waste by commercial outlets and damaged stormwater drains,” says Karthikeyan, a resident of MMDA colony.
Anna Nagar is one of the fastest growing residential-cum-commercial pockets in the city.
“No one understands our plight. Shops and goods worth several lakhs are damaged in floods every year. We have to use lifeboats to get around during the monsoon. The situation won’t be any different this year either,” says Karthikeyan.
People residing near Shanti Colony complain of the commercialisation in the area. “The area is highly commercialised and it is difficult for us to even walk or drive in the evening. Authorities did not consider the plight of residents when they gave permission for shops and outlets in a predominantly residential area,” says K Ravichandran, a Shanti Colony resident.
Residents are forced to appoint workers paying money from their pockets to get garbage cleared as the corporation does not bother to collect it regularly. “Many commercial outlets dump waste on the roadside and it is our job to remove it,” said Ganesh, a resident of 12th Main Road, Anna Nagar.
The constituency is also noted for increasing levels of air and water pollution. Residents say that the constituency, which has a long history of electing candidates from DMK front, may look for a change this time. Both congress and AIADMK candidates were not available for comment.
