The more than 13,000 residents of Thudiyalur’s Ward 1 (Bharathiyar Street, Aravan Street, Muthusamy Kounder Street, Railway Station Road, and Idikarai Road) need a separate railway station, drinking water, bus stand, markets, and a proper sewage system.

Rathinasabapathy, retired transport officer, says, “There is no proper garbage disposal system. Even educated people come and throw off the wastes in front of my house. They don’t even have time to put it in the bin. The garbage falls into the drains and gets contaminated. Street dogs dig up the wastes and bring it to my home. Municipality staff come only once in 15 days. The workers are old and they are unable to do the job. The Corporation should arrange for additional trucks to carry the garbage.”

The residents of Puthu Muthu Nagar also complain that they are not getting drinking water. Since they are not economically well off, they are unable to buy mineral water. The drainage wastes overflow in front of every home. “There are mounds of garbage everywhere and you can find the children playing with it. You can often see worms crawling in the garbage,” a woman complains.

The corporation recently collected Rs.2500, compulsorily, from the people for the construction of a temple.

N. Balamurthy, secretary of the area’s residents’ welfare organization, says, “In the past four years, the corporation was interested in constructing only roads. Thousands of people live in this area. Until now we do not have a separate bus stand. This is the tourist spot, but the area lacks separate bus stand with the basic facilities like toilets and waiting rooms. Likewise, we don’t have separate railway station. The railway station that we have is a dilapidated one and no trains stop there. Police should take steps to stop the sale of drugs (marijuana); but, they are collecting bribes and are instead threatening the small road side shops. In addition, construction of a public market is currently on. We need two-lane roads, and link roads with proper street lights. Electric graveyard should function properly.” He claims that he had also petitioned many a times to the proper authorities, but nothing has been done.

V. Vadhsala, the councillor of Thudiyalur Ward 1, says she has resolved the issues after coming to power. In the four years of her tenure as the councillor, she says that she had constructed roads for Rs.65 Lakhs, three toilets at Idikarai for Rs.15 Lakhs, and also got the government to sanction Rs.74 Lakhs to construct a proper drainage system. She has promised to look into the complaints.