The Hindu : Basic amenities still a far cry at Rainbow Nagar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Basic amenities still a far cry at Rainbow Nagar

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry March 10. The Rainbow Nagar Housing Colony, situated close to the bouleward limits in Pondicherry, lacks basic amenities. Residents are forced to live with conditions such as bumpy roads, accumulated garbage and choking drains.

Two-wheeler users have complained of backache and cervical problems after riding on the roads with many potholes. The locals say that roaming pigs and the choking sewage in the big canal are posing health hazards. The canal, which has not been cleaned up, is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The overflowing sewage is causing concern.

The underground drainage work, taken up some seven years ago, has not yet been completed. The situation in the nearby Kamaraj Nagar Venkata Nagar Rajarajeswari Nagar and Chellan Nagar is no better, says a senior citizen in the colony.

The Residents' Welfare Association, formed in 1991, has been striving for improving the amenities by making repeated representations to the authorities. But the officials are unmoved. Some office-bearers of the Women's Association say there are problems in getting protected water. The distribution pipes, laid 20 years ago to provide water from the overhead tank, need to be replaced.

As proposed, a shopping complex could be constructed on the vast stretch of land on the Vallalar Salai. The open site is being used for dumping garbage.

R. Ramanujam, president of the Association of Residents of Rainbow Nagar, maintains that the `neighbourhood watch' scheme, implemented long ago, should be revived to strengthen security.

A. M. Krishnamoorthy, elected from the Reddiarpalayam Assembly constituency, under whose limits is Rainbow Nagar, said he had written a letter to the Public Works Department, drawing its attention to the need to lay the roads. As funds were not allotted, the road project had not been taken up so far. He also urged the PWD to ensure that the water pipelines were replaced with the new ones.

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Basic amenities still a far cry at Rainbow Nagar