CHENNAI: Residents of Vishnu Nagar have sleepless nights these days as they are haunted by reptiles entering their houses due to prolonged stagnation of water in their backyard. They are agitated that the Municipal Chairman Victory Mohan, who resides in the same area, instead has a peaceful night’s sleep. “See this photograph of snakes. We have been struggling with the reptiles for the past one week. But the Chairman Victory Mohan is least bothered about our plight,” said a group of residents of 13th ward of Avadi Municipality.A few streets in the area were flooded with water for the past few days, but the functionaries of Congress, campaigning for Victory Mohan, who was contesting for the second time for the chairman post, could not care less about the problem, the residents complained.For them, contesting in the local body election was not to serve the people but to mint money, said a resident. Elaborating on an overheard discussion among the contesting candidates, 40-year-old Santha (name changed) of Thirumullaivoyal said,”When I attended a marriage function recently, I overheard a discussion of local politicians saying that they are investing Rs 25 lakh to buy votes in a ward, but in turn will be earning crores of rupees in next five years.” All the roads in the 13th ward lay battered. The municipality, which had dug the roads for laying underground drainage and drinking water pipeline, failed to relay the roads forcing residents to spend money from their pockets. “We the residents of 13 houses on 2nd Cross Street have shelled out Rs 25,000 from our pockets to relay the road,” said a group of women, who were found overseeing the road laying work in the ward.“My father is a panchayat president in Thoothukudi district. He had completed all the development works in five years. Why can’t the chairman Victory Mohan do the same for this municipality,” asked a woman, requesting anonymity.The roads were indeed poor in all the 48 wards of Avadi Municipality. “Due to the incomplete drainage work in our area, the pipeline often leaks and the sewage water enter our houses. My entire family was sick due to the unhygienic condition,” said Amul, a 30-year-old mother of two residing at Dr Ambedkar Nagar in 45 ward.Garbage is seen strewn around uncleared for months. The ward councillors were least bothered about repairing street lights, cleaning overflowing septic tanks and relaying roads dug up for laying underground drainage pipelines, complained Augustine Roy Rozario, member of Cholan Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association in the 44th ward. The another local issue that perhaps would have an influence on the election was poor drinking water facilities. Residents of 21st ward complained that they needed to travel about a kilometre to fetch water. Despite having taken up the issue with the councillor, nothing has happened.
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