CHENNAI: With Assembly elections approaching, residents’ groups in North Chennai have drawn up a detailed charter of demands seeking a dedicated environmental policy, major infrastructure upgrades including Metro expansion and new elevated corridors, and focused welfare measures to address what they describe as decades of neglect.
The Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Association recently met DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi at Anna Arivalayam, urging that its proposals find a place in the party’s election manifesto. It also submitted its charter to the AIADMK and plans to approach other major parties.
The charter calls for a comprehensive North Chennai Development Plan, anchored in a participatory socio-economic study to assess local needs and ensure balanced growth across neighbourhoods. The federation wants Manali, Ennore and Tiruvottiyur declared Strict Monitoring Zones under a special ecological framework.
Residents alleged that toxic emissions, including ammonia and mercury, have made normal life difficult in several areas. With North Chennai housing a large share of the State’s heavy and petrochemical industries, activists argued that no further Red Category projects, including the proposed waste incinerator, should be permitted.
A key demand concerns the 40-year-old Kodungaiyur dump yard, which residents term a major public health hazard. Originally earmarked for an educational institution, the 352 acre site now handles large volumes of waste. The federation sought its complete closure and cancellation of the proposed 2,100 tonne/day waste-to-energy incinerator. It has proposed converting the reclaimed land into an environmental park with a public library offering 6-month residential facilities for researchers and students.
As an alternative waste strategy, the charter proposes reopening 168 closed Micro Composting Centres and 88 Material Recovery Facilities, setting up biogas or Bio CNG plants for wet waste, recycling up to 85% of dry waste, and scientifically treating the remainder.
To ease traffic congestion, residents have sought an elevated corridor from Vyasarpadi Bridge Moolakothalam junction to Mint Bridge, a multilevel flyover at Madhavaram Roundtana, a new flyover on MTH Road near TI Cycles in Ambattur, and extension of the Moolakadai flyover towards Kodungaiyur and Madhavaram. They have also demanded dedicated freight corridors to separate container traffic from Ennore and Kasimedu ports from passenger vehicles.
The charter calls for extending Metro Rail phase II from Madhavaram to Ennore via Kodungaiyur, Mullai Nagar and Manali, and adding dedicated suburban tracks on the Gummidipoondi route to increase train frequency.
On flood management, the federation has sought recovery of 8,000 acres of marshland along the Kosasthalaiyar River, an end to fly ash dumping, and opposition to the proposed Kattupalli Port expansion. It has also urged scientific cleaning of the Buckingham Canal and Cooum, integration of feeder canals with sewage treatment plants, green buffer zones and early warning systems. Restoration of lakes such as Ayanambakkam, Ambattur and Korattur for drinking water has been proposed.
For education, the charter calls for halting school closures, strengthening infrastructure and staffing, and establishing a law college in North Chennai, an automotive engineering college and polytechnic in Ambattur, and new government arts and science colleges.
Taken together, the demands seek to place environmental justice, infrastructure equity and social development at the centre of the electoral discourse in North Chennai.