Chennai:
Residents of Chennai are not taking no for an answer when elected councilors fail to deliver. Now residents, mostly techies on the showpiece IT corridor, are nominating shadow councilors to get them drinking water, sewage storm water drains.
The city's new face, the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is in bad shape with battered roads and water logged streets. Even 10 years after the launch of this IT corridor, the corporation still does not provide drinking water, underground sewage or storm water drains. And there are three lakh flats here. Elected members, residents allege, are just not doing their job.
Harsha Koda, Coordinator, of the Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA) says, "We've lost faith with elected members. We have given files this large to every councilor, every MLA, finally met the Mayor but nothing happened. Now we are coming together a single force uniting all associations. Hope we would now get noticed."
VV Parameshwaran, President, Mistral Apartments Owners Association, adds "We have to walk in three feet water, pregnant women can't go, even old people can't move."
Despite paying hefty property and water tax, Binoy and Megha, who live near Sholinganallur, cough up close to Rs 5000 a month towards water and sewage disposal. Put together it is estimated that all residents on this 20 kilometre stretch spend a whopping 100 crore for this, a responsibility of the corporation.
Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraiswamy says, "It's complicated. People do not understand. The Corporation is not responsible for these. The Tamil Nadu Road Development Company should provide storm water drains. The Metro Water is responsible for water."
"Areas which were already under Chennai Corporation already get our water. Only those extended areas are yet to be covered. The schemes are at different stages. It would be finished in a year," says Metro Water Chairman Dr Chandramohan.
While politicians and bureaucrats pass the buck, the crisis has united the three lakh families living along the OMR. They would also jointly decide on who they would support in polls next year.