Struggling for amenities, residents pin hopes on CM’s initiative

TIRUCHY: Chief Minister MK Stalin’s direction to MLAs to identify 10 long pending demands, projects and promises in their constituencies on priority basis has given yet another chance for the people in Delta districts to put forth their long pending grievances, especially the basic amenities that are yet to be provided.

Since the Chief Minister made the announcement, the elected representatives have started submitting petitions and representations to the respective Collectors. After sifting through these petitions, DT Next has short-listed a few of the top demands that the people and MLAs have submitted for the four city Corporations in the Delta – Tiruchy, Karur, Thanjavur and Kumbakonam.

The residents of Karur Corporation often note the irony of their suffering for drinking water despite living close to two mighty rivers, Cauvery and Amaravati.

For a long time, the people here have been asking the authorities to desilt Panchampatti lake and construct an irrigation canal from Amaravati and connect it to the Cauvery, which would ensure enough storage in all the waterbodies in the civic body. This is important, as around 200 TMC water goes waste every year, which could be solved if this was done, they claimed.

“Even now, when both Amaravati and Cauvery are swelling, we have been facing drinking water shortage for the past 45 days. The officials spin several stories to explain the reason for poor water supply. But the issue only reveals the sheer lethargy of the officials,” alleged Arulraj Saravanan, a social activist from Karur.

Another major issue that the people raise is connectivity. A ring road connecting Karur and Coimbatore road at Vangal is a long-pending demand from the residents, who note that this would solve almost 70 per cent of traffic issues in the city Corporation.

“As Karur is noted for industries, an airport here is much-needed. This promise takes centre stage during every election, but nothing has been done in this regard,” Arulraj added.

Similarly, while there is medical, arts and science and polytechnic colleges, the Corporation does not have an engineering college, said many among the public there.

Key demands: Linking of Cauvery-Amaravati rivers, airport, ring road, engineering college, uninterrupted water supply

Kumbakonam, an important temple town, houses one of the important transport divisions that covers the districts like Tiruchy, Karaikudi, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruvarur. Pointing this out, the people here have been demanding that it should be made into an independent revenue district.

Supporting this, MLA Sakkottai G Anbalagan of the DMK has submitted a petition to the Collector noting that creating Kumbakonam district from Thanjavur was the need of the hour.

In his petition, Anbalagan also highlighted how the present bus stand used by thousands of passengers every day lacked even the basic amenities due to crippling space crunch.

“The government should establish an integrated bus terminal in Kumbakonam and find space for it,” he said in the petition to the Collector.

K Sundrarajan, a social activist from Kumbakonam, noted the need for a ‘silk park’ to capitalise on the town’s fame for silk production. “In order to enhance the economic situation of the people here, the government should establish a silk park,” he said. According to him, Kumbakonam should be elevated as a separate district, and the government should also establish colleges for law, engineering and polytechnic courses,

Key demands: Elevating it into a separate revenue district, new bus stand, drinking water scheme, underground electric power line, UGD, colleges