Delayed action by civic authorities in rain-hit wards poses hardships to residents: councillors

Cutting across party lines, when the councillors of Madurai Corporation charged the civic authorities of not rising up to the occasion during the rainy season, Commissioner C. Dinesh Kumar explained the numerous measures taken by the administration here on Friday.

Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth presided over the meeting where Deputy Mayor T. Nagarajan and other officials were present.

When the DMK, the AIADMK, the Congress, the MDMK, the CPI (M) and the VCK members pointed out the ‘slackness’ on the part of the civic authorities, the Commissioner and a few of his colleagues explained the steps taken by them.

Beginning from Sellur, which drew the attention of a majority of the councillors and dominated the meeting, Mr. Dinesh Kumar said that manholes, which had to be cleared for smooth flow of gutter, had even huge pots and big stones in them.

“The public should be educated on the functioning of a manhole since such encroachment blocked the free flow leading to gutter inundating many low-lying roads in the residential areas....”

The officials, he said, worked round the clock that the operation in Sellur was complete. However, not satisfied, many councillors said that it was a hell for the public in many wards and in future, the officials should act first and not react to the monsoon.

At least 50% of the pumping stations in the city limits did not have gen-sets. As a result, pumping of sewer could not be done effectively. During power shutdowns, it flowed and landed in the Vaigai, said AIADMK councillor and leader M. Solai Raja.

He appealed to the Mayor to get the wornout motors from these pumping stations replaced with new ones with higher HP (horse power).

The zone 1 chairperson Vasuki Sasikumar said that the Corporation should ensure that the layout proposals seeking plan approval should have proper tar roads and storm water drain facilities as many upcoming layouts did not have even the basic amenities.

She wanted street lights to be fitted in the added wards as there were complaints of non-burning bulbs.

The DMK councillor and zone 2 chairperson A. Saravana Bhuvaneshwari said that the civic administration should work out permanent solutions and not react after the sufferings of the people.

If the old wards in the city were bad, added wards or the extension wards included in the city limits recently were worse. Many of the assistant engineers (AEs) and other officials did not even respond to our phone calls, she charged and wanted the Commissioner to give proper instructions to the officials.

The zone 3 chairperson P. Pandi Selvi wanted mobile toilets to be installed in the uzhavar sandhais for the benefit of the farmers and the visiting public.

The zone 4 chairperson M. Mugesh Sharma wanted the fee collected at the Moolakarai crematorium to be slashed from ₹3,450 to ₹1,350 from the public.

Instead of taxing the public, the Corporation could examine alternatives such as CSR funds which would reduce the burden on the individuals coming to perform last rites.

Responding to it, Mr. Dinesh Kumar explained the cost incurred to burn a body with the help of LPG and gasifier. He assured to improve the basic amenities at the crematorium, which was run by the Rotary Club.

The zone 5 chairperson V. Suvitha said that roads in Tirunagar, Harveypatti and other peripheries were in a very bad shape and the residents suffered so much during the rains.

She pointed out that wards - 81, 82, 83 in her zone were shabby in multiple aspects and the markets in wards 78 and 79 too were so pathetic that people could not enter at all.

Mr. Solai Raja said that the Corporation should seek a special fund from the government for carrying out works in Madurai. He said that out of the 14 channels in the city, Pandalkudi channel alone was with the PWD and suggested to the Corporation to write to the government. It would be ideal for the civic body to maintain it.

Mr. Solai Raja blamed the Corporation for being dormant and alleged that some top individuals and big corporate houses, including jewellers and hoteliers, obtained stay from the courts, while the common man was squeezed to pay the property tax.

Replying to it, Mr. Dinesh Kumar said that the Corporation had taken action in each and every case and denied there was any slackness. He said that the advocates appearing for the civic body are presenting the facts before the courts.

Many other councillors who spoke urged the Corporation to provide rain coats, hand gloves to conservancy workers.

Similarly, a few councillors, including DMK’s Jayaraj, T. Kumaravel (CPI-M) and Mr. Solai Raja and others wanted the Corporation to help find an amicable solution for the Mullai Nagar residents’ issue, as they had been living there for over four decades and now facing eviction.

The nearly 600 dwellings and 3,500 population should be helped by the authorities, they pleaded. However, officials said that they were only implementing a court directive.

As a special invitee, the Madurai South MLA Boominathan, thanked the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for having given ₹11.90 crore for Sellur tank desilting works and urged the civic body to desilt all other channels.

The MDMK councillor Baskaran charged that there were irregularities in the multi-level car parking fee collection by the contractor in Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and demanded cancellation of the contract forthwith.

The VCK councillor Muniandi appealed to the civic administration to help the residents of Chinna Udaippu in ward 100 as they were facing eviction by the authorities for giving their dwellings to the airport expansion. They should be given higher compensation.

Published - November 29, 2024 08:02 pm IST