Chennai: As election campaigning gathers momentum, residents of Ambattur constituency say they are still waiting for basic infrastructure fixes — ranging from ageing sewage systems to unchecked encroachments. They accused successive elected representatives of neglect despite the area being under Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).United Welfare Federation of Ambattur, a collective of at least 10 residents welfare associations (RWAs), has submitted a charter of demands to contesting candidates. They said political representatives have consistently failed to consult residents or include RWAs in committee meetings. S Suresh, president of the federation, said the sitting MLA has never visited the area to understand local concerns. “The councillor has visited our ward only three times in the last four years. We have complained several times to officials about local eateries occupying pavements and bunk shops in residential areas. This constricts roads and causes congestions,” he said.“In peak traffic, it takes at least two hours to reach Kilpauk, which is 13km away and has the nearest govt hospital. It takes 45 minutes to reach Ambattur telephone exchange, which is only 3km away,” he said. He also flagged the lack of a govt hospital, higher secondary schools for boys, playgrounds and basic infrastructure such as footpaths and bus shelters.Environmental concerns were also highlighted. Ramalingam, joint secretary of the federation, said, “There are at least 30 small and large waterbodies in Ambattur constituency that remain neglected. The old sewer network remains clogged and no proper desilting has been done in recent years, which has led untreated sewage to flow into the water bodies, including Puzhal Lake and Korattur Lake.”
