How a village in north Chennai transformed into a town

Gummidipoondi, a developing town in north Chennai, faces infrastructure challenges despite the growth of its industrial park.

Gummidipoondi was a village in north Chennai, which remained on the fringes of the city’s development.

Falling in Tiruvallur district, it has an industrial park, government hospital, and railway station. But its infrastructure is poor, says S. Suresh Babu. Mr. Babu, an advocate, has been residing here for more than 30 years and has seen the growth of the locality over the years.

Mr. Babu says Gummidipoondi village became a town after it was made a taluk, in 1972, comprising 90 revenue villages, 61 panchayats, and a town panchayat. The development started with the establishment of the SIPCOT industrial park in 1983, which now employs more than 15,000 persons.

He is also the president of the Billakuppam Village Residents’ Welfare Association, and has been involved in social welfare activities. The Tamil Nadu government established a government hospital after the residents and the elected members made the demand in 1993, pointing to the huge working-class. But the hospital lacks essential facilities like emergency care and a mortuary.

He says many residents with kidney failure travel to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for dialysis. However, after he wrote to the Health Department, the government sanctioned four dialysis machines which are operational.

Though the SIPCOT industrial park has provided jobs to hundreds of youngsters, a major concern for the residents is the pollution that has affected the overall environment of the town.

Over the years, the population has increased, but the residents suffer from the absence of a good bus terminus, adequate suburban train services, an electric crematorium, and a post office. The town also needs a government arts and science college as thousands of students depend on private colleges or travel a long way to pursue higher education.