Date:24/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/24/stories/2008032458910400.htm
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Tamil Nadu

Lights not burning

The MTC bus stand on the eastern side of GST Road at Pallavaram is totally in darkness at night, because none of the lights are burning. There are 14 sodium vapour lights. All these lights are defective or fused. These defective lights have not been repaired or replaced fore the past six months. In spite of the Pallavapuram Municipality’s repeated requests, the MTC has done nothing to repair the lights. At least now, will the MTC do the needful in the public interest?

V. Santhanam,

President, Chromepet New Colony RWS

Install traffic signal

Traffic snarls on the Thambiah Road-Brindavan Street junction in West Mambalam have become a daily feature.

Of late, the situation is going from bad to worse because all suburban areas beyond K.K. Nagar, Vadapalani etc. are highly developed and thickly populated. Most of the residents who come by two- and four-wheelers and autorickshaws from the above areas have to necessarily pass this junction to enter Usman Road in T. Nagar and get back.

The conglomeration of vehicles at this junction during morning and evening rush hour creates virtually a traffic jam on the entire stretch i.e. upto Usman Road. As Brindavan Street upto the Duraisamy sub-way is narrow, vehicles move at a snail’s pace. As a result, many office-goers are not able to go to office in time. Further, to cross this junction from Thambiah Road to Thambiah Road extension and vice versa is quite a feat. As a leading school is situated nearby, children and senior citizens are left at risk of being hit by speeding vehicles. The presence of a solitary policeman to regulate traffic at this point does not help because of the manifold increase in vehicles.

The only panacea to end this chaos is to install a traffic signal with timer immediately. Will the authorities look into it?

S. Jayabalan,

West Mambalam

Basic amenities

Our village Ponneri is situated in Nalur panchayat in the Minjur union on the outskirts of Chennai.

In this village, agriculturists, businessmen and office-goers live. Even though the village is relatively near Chennai, connected by train (Gummidipoondi to Chennai route), there is no proper road to connect the railway station with the village and there are no lights.

Even though there is a 30-to-80 feet road around our village, it has been encroached on. And it is quite difficult even for a vehicle to pass through it. In three decades, the road has not been re-laid even once by the panchayat.

There is no cremation shed in the burial ground.

Several times we have written to the panchayat president and the district administration about all these woes of the village, there has been no response.

V. Ramakrishnan,

Ponneri

Remedial action

There is a vacant railway land lying in the backside of the ICF gate (Tirumangalam Road), which is also in the vicinity of the Anna Nagar Railway Station. The vacant land is used for anti-social activities during nights and misused as an open toilet by the public. The bad stench emanating from the land has become a health hazard to the residents living around.

Recently, when a bank’s ATM was opened near the Anna Nagar Railway Station, the vacant land was spruced up. And after that, it was allowed to fall on usually bad days.

Despite several personal representations made to the ICF management and the authorities of the 64th division of the Corporation, no permanent remedial action has been initiated so far. We are expecting the authorities concerned to provide pucca fencing around the vacant land.

J.S. Prabu,

Villivakkam

Dog menace

The menace of stray dogs in Kottur Gardens (Chennai-85) is increasing.

The residents do not seem to care for cleanliness outside their homes. They throw remnants and crumbles of food stuff along the roadside in front of their homes. The dogs eat away the thrown stuff and have made the locality their ‘kennel’. Some of them are diseased and pose a threat to the health of the people.

I, therefore, request the Corporation authorities to take necessary action in this regard.

R. Pichai Pillai,

Kottur Gardens

Shop encroachments

In busy areas such as T. Nagar, where even though most of the shops have a proper structure, they often annex public place by spreading their wares much to the inconvenience of the public.

Thus, the footpath, which is meant for pedestrians, gets hijacked. In the absence of any action by the authorities, the shopkeepers keep on invading the public space. The authorities must take action before the situation reaches a point of no return.

V. S. Jayaraman,

T.Nagar

Damaged EB post

The electricity post in front of Plot. No.780, 9th Street, Syndicate Bank Colony, Anna Nagar West extension remains damaged, tilting towards one side with cracks and poses danger.

This matter has already been brought to the notice of the authorities, but nothing has been done so far.

Though it is said that underground cable work in our area has already been sanctioned, the works on some roads in our area are still to be executed.

May I request the EB authorities of Ambattur to take up the work immediately and replace the EB post.

P.B. Ramalingam,

Secretary SCOPE, Anna Nagar West Extn.

Haphazard steps

Consequent upon the conversion of meter gauge into broad gauge suburban electric trains from Chennai Beach to Tambaram, platforms and staircases have been raised.

The railway authorities have failed to notice the haphazard size of the staircase steps on the southern side of the platform Nos. 1 and 2 at the Tambaram Railway Station.

The haphazard size of the steps keeps commuters, particularly children and old people, falling.

Hence, I request the railway administration to get the steps corrected.

M. Natarajan,

Selaiyur

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