Thideer Nagar residents raise concern over poor sanitation and lack of safety

Thideer Nagar residents struggle with poor sanitation, unsafe pathways, and unfulfilled promises for better housing, awaiting government action.

D. Chellamma chased away her six-year-old grandson Dharani (name changed) when he tried to play on the bund on the banks of the Adyar that was covered in garbage and greywater in Saidapet. Pointing to the river frothing under the Maraimalai Adigalar Bridge, she said: “There is no compound wall, and we throw our vegetable waste here. He could slip and fall into the dirty water.”

Families in Thideer Nagar have to grapple with issues including unsafe pathways, poor sanitation, and unfulfilled promises for better housing. For the locality’s children, the only playground is the bund along the river, which is covered in waste. Mr. Chellamma said heavy vehicles also drove through the locality, so it was unsafe for children to walk around without adult supervision.

“The waste collection is done only once or twice a month. Battery-operated vehicles of the Greater Chennai Corporation only come to some parts of the housing board complex on alternative days, but never here,” she added.

Ms. Chellamma was allocated an apartment at Kannagi Nagar by the State government. “We refused to move. The facilities there are even worse. Facilities such as grocery stores, schools, and public transport are better here,” she added.

A conservancy worker said: “Dust from sand piles, animal droppings, and household garbage make it difficult for us to remove the waste by the river bank.”

Another resident of Thideer Nagar said: “We belong to a marginalised community. My son works at a stationery store on the main road for minimum wage. The State had assured us housing over nearly two decades ago, yet nothing has materialised. A survey of over 850 families here was done before the Assembly election in 2021. Since then, no action has been taken.”

S. Jagadeeshan, 23, said medical camps held annually only had general physicians, while they also needed specialised doctors to treat skin-related conditions caused due to the dust and waste pollution.