Kancheepuram Mayor promises to work on water scarcity problem

Having been a resident of the town for more than three decades, I have personally experienced the drinking water shortage, says Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj

The Kancheepuram Corporation Mayor M. Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj’s priority in the next five years is to find a solution to the water scarcity affecting the residents in the temple town. The town, a known place for silk sarees and several ancient temples, was upgraded into a corporation by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. 

Ms. Mahalakshmi has been a software professional for about 20 years, but politics is not new to her with her husband playing an important role in the area politically. However, the new Mayor is gradually getting a grip of the vast administrative activities which had remained inactive for nearly a decade. 

Ms. Yuvaraj, sitting in the temporary Mayor chamber of the upgraded Kancheepuram Corporation, is busy as a stream of the ruling party cadres and public visit her chamber to congratulate her on her victory, highlight the issues affecting their wards. However her top agenda remains finding a solution to the water scarcity issue. 

The Mayor said the Thirupparkadal water scheme was implemented in 1996 and had remained the main water source for the residents.

“Having been a resident of the town for more than three decades, I have experienced personally the drinking water shortage. To overcome this problem the corporation would be proposing to improve and expand the water scheme and also explore the option of getting Palar water,” she said. 

Another issue which is troubling the residents is the traffic congestion. The town has a large floating population of tourists and traders. Owing to this, it suffers from traffic jams on most of the arterial roads. Ms. Yuvaraj said traffic congestion was mainly caused by the parking of vehicles at Jawaharlal and Rajaji markets. A proposal was being considered to demolish and reconstruct the two old markets, along with parking facility. That would help in decongesting the roads, she added. 

Ms. Yuvara said steps would be taken to speed up the construction of the new bus terminus at Bhimmasamudram, to improve the corporation schools and primary health centres (PHCs).