Old city can do with more modern amenities, infrastructure
The Hindu
Congestion, conservancy issues remain key problems
A majority of the key landmarks of Chennai-Fort St. George, Madras High Court, the Chennai Central and Egmore railway terminals, Mint Street, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the Government Stanley Hospital, to name a few fall within the Royapuram zone — the oldest part of the city.
With a population of around 7.5 lakh, it is the fourth most populous zone in Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). Almost every pocket in the zone, particularly Royapuram, is replete with history. However, the zone has largely failed to blend its history with modernity as it lags in basic amenities and infrastructure compared to the southern parts of the city.
Conservancy work in the zone is handled by the Corporation. While the situation has improved in recent years, garbage management remains a major problem.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.