Salem West Constituency: deteriorating ground water quality worries residents of Chettichavadi

The Salem West became a constituency after the restructuring of the Salem I and Salem II Assembly constituencies during 2008. It includes 14 wards of the Salem Corporation (wards 1 to 5 and 17 to 25) and parts of Salem Taluk such as Chettichavadi, Kondappanaickenpatti, Sarkar Kollapatti, Steel Plant, and Thalavaipatti, and parts of Omalur Taluk.

Salem West is considered an AIADMK stronghold, as the party and its alliance have secured victory thrice (2011, 2016, and 2021 (PMK alliance)), since the creation of this constituency.  

A majority of the people in the constituency are daily wagers, farmers, and those involved in silver anklet manufacturing at Selathampatti, Sivathapuram, Panankadu, and Sooramangalam. 

One of the major issues highlighted by the residents is the functioning of four Tasmac outlets near the New Bus Stand. Tipplers pose a big challenge to residents and the passengers, said P. Kumar, a resident of Pallapatti. Though multiple protests have been staged by political parties and residents, no action has been taken so far, he said and wanted the shops shifted.

Residents of Chinneri Vayalkadu and Alamarathukadu demanded measures to prevent sewage mixed rainwater from entering the houses in the two localities. K. Praveen, a resident of Chinneri Vayalkadu also raised the issue of inadequate toilet facilities at the New Bus Stand. Hygiene takes a beating in the bus stand as people urinate in the open, he said.

Absence of road facility and inadequate drainage channels plague the 120 families residing in Palani Andavar Street for the past 23 years. “Due to narrow roads on Mitta Pudur Road, schoolchildren on bicycles used to fall into the sewage channel and it was recently addressed by the Corporation,” said V. Giri, a resident of the locality.

The residents of Chettichavadi are unhappy with the Corporation’s handling of waste at the dump yard. For the past 20 years, garbage collected from 60 wards has been dumped on 100 acres of the Corporation’s land at Chettichavadi. S. Arumugam, a resident of Chettichavadi, said that ground water quality in the locality had deteriorated. The stink and smoke from the dump yard create health issues. Though the Corporation has begun the biomining of legacy waste a few months back, Mr. Arulmugam said that smoke emanated from the garbage frequently. “The Corporation should stop dumping garbage at Chettichavadi,” he added.

On the traffic congestion at the New Bus Stand locality, S. Sathish, a resident of Pallapatti, said that while the AIADMK was in power in 2019, it promised a bus port near Arabic College on the Salem-Bengaluru National Highway. No step has been taken in this regard in the past years.

In Salem West, the contest this time is among the DMK and allies, the AIADMK and allies, TVK, and NTK. The present MLA R. Arul, who is from PMK founder S. Ramadoss’s faction, has also announced that he will be contesting this election, hinting that there might be a five-cornered fight.

AIADMK cadre say that since the PMK is in their alliance this time as well, they have bright chances of winning. The DMK cadre claim that as the PMK is divided and for the last three times, the AIADMK alliance won in this constituency, people will give a chance to DMK this time.