Katpadi residents seek solution to heavy traffic congestion, lack of jobs for local youth

Bifurcated from Gudiyatham Assembly constituency mode backmost successful 1962, Katpadi spot was won by the AIADMK astatine slightest thrice betwixt 1977 and 1991.

Since 1996, the DMK’s strongman Duraimurugan, party’s wide caput and Minister for Water Resources now, has won six consecutive times, making it his ain fort. In 2021, however, Mr. Duraimurugan won with a borderline of a specified 746 votes, the lowest triumph borderline secured successful the spot since it was formed implicit six decades ago.

Tucked betwixt engaged Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) and adust Palar river, Katpadi is simply a bustling municipality agglomerate with high-rise buildings, multiplexes, buying malls, and multi-cuisine restaurants.

“Traffic congestion remains the perennial occupation for galore years. School vans and ambulances get stuck connected the cardinal agelong that connects residential, commercialized areas and the railway station,” said E. Ganesh, president, 14th ward Residents Welfare Association. 

Mr. Ganesh is simply a subordinate of the District Consumer Board that comprises elected representatives, residents’ payment associations, officials of assorted authorities departments and the civic assemblage arsenic members to code nationalist grievances. District Election Officer and Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi is the chairperson of the board, which organises stakeholders gathering erstwhile each 3 months.

“Apart from postulation congestion, clogging of the existing canal that discharges excess rainwater into Palar stream is different irritant, arsenic it leads to mosquito breeding successful the area,” said S. Ranganathan, a resident.

Residents said that the territory medication and Corporation should utilise streets and lanes successful Katpadi to decongest cardinal stretches similar Old Katpadi Road betwixt the railway presumption and Green Circle, a roundabout beneath Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway.

As astir of the authorities hospitals with amended facilities are located successful Old Town areas, patients successful Katpadi get stuck successful the postulation connected these cardinal stretches. Residents said that airy vehicles similar cars, car rickshaws and two-wheelers should beryllium diverted to lanes and streets with information measures to decongest arterial roads successful Katpadi.  

The constituency besides covers galore surrounding villages that travel nether Katpadi, Vellore and Walajah taluks. Vast tracts of farmland are nether paddy cultivation successful these villages. Farmers mostly beryllium connected vessel irrigation, with the Palar stream remaining a large h2o source.

A bid of cheque dams person been built crossed the stream by the Water Resources Department (WRD) since 2021 to recharge groundwater successful surrounding villages. Farmers sought the operation of specified cheque dams and the implementation of h2o conservation efforts to accelerate agriculture maturation successful the area.

Despite being an municipality area, Katpadi inactive mostly depends connected agriculture, which is the mainstay of its economy. The constituency does not person immoderate large-scale industries to supply jobs for section youth. A connection to acceptable up a SIPCOT analyzable besides faces challenges arsenic residents reason the acquisition of farmland for the project. Residents request that concern units should beryllium established connected a ample standard to propel maturation successful the area.

Number of polling stations: 251