The Hindu 04.03.2011
Lack of drainage facility inconveniences residents
Flies and mosquitoes proliferate in stagnant waste water
Unhygienic conditions: Drainage water overflowing on Raman Street in Salem. – Photo: P. Goutham
The residents of Raman Street in ward 13 here are living in sub-human conditions.
The street has no proper drainage facility and as a
result sewer water overflows onto the street and collects at various
points as cesspools.
The mosquitoes make the best out of the prevailing conditions by proliferating in lakhs, leading to serious health hazards.
“We have forgotten what it is like to have a good and
sound sleep for months now. The mosquitoes and flies swarm our houses,
thus making our lives miserable,” says a resident.
To add to the woes, the street itself looks battle-ravaged with craters and potholes.
“Even to walk on it requires special skill. New entrants
into the street invariably fall. The school-going children are the
worst-hit,” says another resident.
The street lights remain showpieces of the past. None of
them is burning nowadays, leaving the citizens to live in fear of
chain-snatchers and rowdy elements, say residents. The residents claim
that they have approached the Salem Corporation several times with
petitions regarding the state of affairs.
“Nothing has so far moved the civic body, which remains insensitive to our sufferings,” they point out.
They urge the Corporation to redress their grievances at least immediately after the elections.