In front of every house in the Tamil Nadu Housing Unit
Phase II in Vellakinar is a pit holding sewage. The residents are forced
to let their domestic waste water there as the only other alternative
is to drain it on the roads.

The pit adds uniformity
to the houses that more or less look identical. The Tamil Nadu Housing
Board constructed and handed over the houses in 1995 to the present day
residents.

It also developed roads and drains in the
locality and handed them over to the then Vellakinar panchayat. The two
have now become the property of the Coimbatore Corporation.The locality is a part of Ward 26 of the Corporation.

The
residents say they are unable to let the domestic sewage into the
drains because they are either choked or damaged. “It is as good as
letting out the sewage on the road,” says P. Duraipandi, a resident.

“The
drains have been in a state of neglect as the Vellakinar panchayat and
now the Corporation have not taken up repair or maintenance work. And
there is no proper disposal point,” says S. Natarajan, president of the
residents’ association.

The locality does not have
water connection as well. Of the six borewells only one functions. After
suffering for long, the residents took the initiative to repair the
pipelines and supply water from the tank.

Almost all the 500-odd residents contributed Rs. 500 each for the work, he says.

They
did not stop with that. The residents also contributed physical labour
by cleaning the tank, adds Arul Mary, the vice president of the
residents’ association. As for the drinking water, the Corporation
supplies it once in 10 days.

But that is not enough to meet the demands of the 500-odd residents, especially with old pipelines that run over sewers.

Their
list of woes continues. The road is equally bad, the residents
complain. It has been more than 10 years since the roads there saw some
improvement.With potholes and sewage pits and without drain the roads resemble cesspool during monsoon.

“The residents,” laments Mr. Duraipandi, “will have to wade through knee-deep water, that too in the absence of street lights.”

Then
there is the problem of bus connectivity. Bus number 68 plies to the
area but only thrice a day – 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m., says Mr.
Natarajan. To highlight their issues, the residents staged a protest
around two years ago. Officials concerned pacified the residents with
the promise to improve the basic amenities within 15 days.

Since then they have been living with the promise and also problems, he quips.Ward
26 Councillor S. Saradha Shanmugam says that she is aware of the
problems. Her proposal to improve the roads in the area has been
accepted and the Corporation will soon lay new roads.

The
civic body will also improve water supply and is in the process of
approving applications for house connections for water supply.She promises to improve the basic amenities at the earliest.