Thoothukudi councillors flag lapses in civic services, seek remedial action

Thoothukudi Corporation councillors have urged the corporation to desilt and clean the sewage drains before the onset of the northeast monsoon. They said the corporation was undertaking drain cleaning work using the personnel already engaged in regular duties, affecting the routine work and demanded that separate workers be engaged for this purpose.

The councillors raised this issue at the council meeting held here on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the councillors alleged that officials were not carrying out their duties properly. They said development works had been carried out effectively during the past four years but had slowed down after the change of government. They alleged that Corporation officials were not cooperating with them in carrying out public works.

They also raised concerns over the Corporation’s decisions to take action against residents who used motors to illegaly draw water from drinking water pipelines. They said a similar move 24 years ago had led to serious problems and urged the authorities to ensure that such a situation did not recur.

They also complained garbage was not being collected properly. They said residents were being asked to segregate waste into four categories, which had resulted in some people dumping garbage on roads and in drains, causing various problems.

Responding to the councillors, Mayor Jegan Periyasamy said several areas surrounding Thoothukudi were facing drinking water shortage, but water was being supplied regularly in all 60 wards of the Corporation. He urged the people to use water judiciously.

He added that people were being made to segregate waste and steps would be taken without causing inconvenience to them.

He also said there was no situation to use motors to draw drinking water within the Corporation and claimed that water was being supplied round the clock. The Mayor further noted that the corporation works had been divided among contractors and asked councillors to approach him directly if they had information about any irregularities or corruption. He also said officials had not been functioning properly after the change of government and that the corporation knew how to ensure that they discharged their duties properly.

Corporation Commissioner S. Priyanka said a team of 20 workers were engaged in cleaning the sewage drains in each zone. The teams were cleaning one km of drain every day, she added.

She noted that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the proper removal of garbage and that precautionary measures ahead of the northeast monsoon were also being taken continuously.