Perambur residents flag encroachments, put forth demands

Linking civic governance to voting decisions, the Perambur Neighborhood Development Forum (PNDF) released a ‘pre-election memorandum’, presenting their demands to recognised political parties ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026. Notably, in the 2021 election, Perambur registered a voter turnout of 62.63%.

In the memorandum, shared with The Hindu, the forum demanded strict enforcement of CMDA norms, removal of encroachments, protection of OSR lands against misuse, and regulated parking. It also sought a publicly disclosed road audit with a time-bound restoration plan.

The residents’ body also urged political parties to include specific commitments for Perambur in their election manifestos, and hold a post-election public review meeting within six months of assuming office.

The forum said it had, over many years, submitted representations to the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), Railways, and the Highways Department, but many problems remained unaddressed.

Among the key issues flagged in the Perambur Assembly Constituency were road encroachments, damaged roads and storm-water drains that led to recurring floods, and the stalled construction of a concrete median on Perambur High Road.

The forum also raised issues such as illegal parking on public roads, temple lands, and open space reservation (OSR) lands, encroachments on parks and waterbodies, and lack of transparency in grievance redress. The memorandum calls for ward-level parking plans, removal of encroachments on OSR lands, monthly public grievance meetings and online tracking of petitions.