Ward Watch| Residents of Ward 97 in Coimbatore grapple with multiple civic issues

Residents of Ward 97 in Coimbatore face civic issues like water leaks, lack of streetlights, and damaged infrastructure.

Ward 97, located on the southern edge of the Coimbatore Corporation, faces multiple civic issues, according to residents.

A. Srinivasan from Srinivasa Nagar, highlighted frequent leaks in the newly-laid drinking water pipelines under the 24x7 drinking water project. “Huge volume of water gets wasted, and the leaks constantly appear in new spots, damaging the roads as well,” he said.

P. Lakshmi, a resident of Kurichi Housing Unit Phase 1, was concerned about lack of streetlights in certain areas. “It is not just my area; parts of the ward have this problem. Bushes have grown on both sides of the roads and vacant sites, and we have seen snakes often. Without streetlights functioning properly in those areas, it is dangerous for us to go out,” she said.

An engineering official from the Coimbatore Corporation explained that recent underground drainage (UGD) works had damaged the drinking water pipelines that were laid just a year ago. “When water supply through the new connections commenced three months ago, the damaged sections led to leakages. We are currently identifying these leaks, and they will be fixed,” the official said.

K. Mahalingam, who oversees the ward on behalf of the Councillor, said UGD works in the ward were 80% complete, and road re-laying was in progress. Proposals have been submitted to construct a public toilet, urban primary health centre, and a town bus route to Pillayarpuram, where many daily wage labourers reside. A survey is underway to address streetlight issues, and new lights will be installed soon.