CHENNAI: A thin file hidden in a stack of records in the municipal administration department is no ordinary document. It contains the hopes of more than 10,000 residents of Nolambur. The file contains a proposal to acquire land to lay a road that will connect Nolambur to the rest of the city.

In June, following representations from residents of Nolambur phase 1, mayor Saidai S Duraisamy and other officials made an inspection and found the residents lacked basic amenities — roads, water and sewage connections. This is because a roughly hewn stretch named Sri Ram Nagar Main Road, which residents had been using since 2006, is stuck in litigation and not relaid. It was part of a village panchayat and private individuals claimed it was part of their land. They weren't willing to give it to the corporation.

After inspection, the corporation proposed to acquire land from owners under the Land Acquisition Act for 87.37 lakh. The proposal was introduced as an urgency clause under the Act and approved by the council hardly two days later.

However, nothing has moved since then. "We are grateful for the civic body's timely response in deciding to acquire land, but we hope the process speeds up, and does not end up as one of its many forgotten promises," says Federation of Nolambur Residents Associations president G Suresh.

Sriram Nagar Main Road and School Road are the only two access routes for residents of nearly 2,500 apartments in Nolambur to get to Bharathi Salai, a main road in West Mogappair, and from there to other areas in the city. "People here work in areas such as Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Mount Road and Nungambakkam among others and need to use this road every day," says Jayanth Namboodiri, another resident.

The other problem is the lack of water and sewage connections as the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, or Metrowater says it cannot lay pipes under disputed land. "Metrowater says it has to belong to the local body," says G Suresh.