Park Town, once a calm residential area and a prime part of the erstwhile ‘Nalla Madras’, is losing its charm as most of the residential plots are converted into commercial establishments.
With the number of illegal buildings spiralling in the locality, the area chokes with garbage and sewer overflows.
Despite the authorities sealing a few unauthorised buildings in the area, new constructions, with violations, mushroom. Several residential buildings are put to commercial use, disrupting public life, said civic activist Aarani Srinivasan of Choolai.
“For the past two years, I have been lodging complaints against unauthorised buildings, but only after court intervention, a few buildings were sealed in Park Town.
I would be once again approaching the court praying to speed up the drive against unauthorised constructions.
Most of the illegal buildings do not have sewer connections and they drain the sewage into the stormwater drains,” alleged Mr P. Solomon, who has filed a petition in the Madras high court seeking action against illegal buildings.
“The major problem in the division is lack of adequate pumping station. Thousands of new buildings have come up but the drainage network is old and worn out.
A corporation site is available near the Vepery fire station and will be ideal for constructing a pumping station.
The issue is caught between metro water and the city corporation,” informs 58 division ward councillor T. Kalarimuthu.
According to corporation sources, several roads are narrow in the area where laying stormwater drain is not feasible and there is an influx of north Indians.
A senior corporation official told DC that the pumping station proposal can materialise if metro water approaches the civic body with due requisition.