Towards an inclusive Mandavelipakkam

This new group in Mandavelipakkam - Chennai hopes to address issues concerning residents through dialogues and collaboration with all stakeholders

Walk towards Lazarus Church Road Park in Mandavelipakkam and one will see a pillar at the junction. According to The Hindu Archives, the pillar is a signpost to a post-Independence Madras that was in the throes of expansion and development. It symbolises a ₹20 lakh Low Income Group Housing Scheme, sponsored by the Government of India and executed by the Madras City Improvement Trust (referred to as ‘CIT’), the forerunner of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.

In the streets radiating from the pillar and beyond, one would see a picture of diversity.

The pillar is in fact a reminder about the different communities around us and how we need to make it inclusive for a peaceful co-existence.

Recently, we residents of Mandavelipakkam started a core committee group called ‘Voices of Mandavelipakam’ with resident representatives from various streets working towards achieving this goal. Saravanan Annamalai and Sheila D’Souza are the representative for East Circular Road; Shubha Rangarajan for Norton Road; professor Pattabhiraman, Krishnan from Third Trust Cross Street(TCS); Jaya Dass, Srividya Ganesh from Fourth TCS; Capt Venkatesh, Suresh Shanbogue from Fifth TCS; V.Shankar, Charanya Pattabhiraman from First TCS; Saroj Satyanarayan, Sasirekha Rammohan and S.Radhakrishnan for Sixth and Second TCS; and Hema Narayan for Lazarus Church Road.

The representatives from the group will meet officials once a month to have open dialogues on issues and find solutions in a collaborative effort.

One sensitive issue is of cattle left to roam freely on roads. Greater Chennai Corporation has offered alternative shelters for them but they seem to be facing challenges to move them to new areas.

Recently a meeting of cattle owners, councillor of 126 Ward Amirda Varshani and GCC officials was held to discuss this concern of residents.