Area Sabha to be conducted in 200 wards till Feb 8 to address civic issues

CHENNAI: The elected representative members and corporation officials of several wards held area sabha on Thursday.

Various issues including roads, drinking water and sewage were discussed during the meeting and the authorities promised to resolve the issues within a stipulated time. The civic body has planned to conduct the area sabha in all 200 wards for the next two weeks.

The Chennai Corporation has planned to conduct the Area Sabha every month, and 2,000 ward committee members are appointed in all the wards.

However, the meeting has not been conducted in the city and residents are still unaware of the Sabha. The Sabha will be conducted from January 25 to February 8 at 10 places in each ward. On Thursday, the meeting was held in at least 14 divisions and grievances had been escalated to the concerned officials.

V Parthiban, secretary of confederation of Shollinganallur residents association said that the area sabha has been organized for the first time in ward 193 in Thuraipakkam of Shollinganallur zone.

"The majority of the complaints were regarding biomining at Perungudi dump yard, where the civic body continues to dump garbage during the ongoing process of the project. The entire area is flooded with filthy water and resulted in contaminating groundwater in the area, " added Parthiban.

The residents of Thoraipakkam urged the metro water board to supply drinking water from Nemili treatment plant and provide sewage connections in the residential areas which has been pending for over a decade. Also, of the major complaints discussed during the meeting in several areas including Korattur, Arumbakkam and KK Nagar were regarding solid waste, street light connections and poor road conditions.

The councillor of ward 4 of Ernavoor has conducted Area Sabha four times and the issues raised to the zonal level officers have not been escalated to the higher authorities to provide a solution, lamented denizens. R Jayaraman, ward member stated that the storm water drain construction has not completed in the area and no interlinking done in many streets where the SWD completed. We are tired of complaining to the concerned officials but to no respite.

The area sabha in ward 74 of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zone chaired by mayor Priya Rajan.

"The public expressed their demands related to basic facilities such as surveillance camera, sports ground lighting facility, drinking water facility, desilt SWD, and maintenance in their area. The grievances have been given to the concerned department officers to take appropriate action on this, " said Mayor Priya.