Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026: Open drains and chaotic traffic hurt Thanjavur’s heritage city image

Despite being the headquarters of the district for over a century, civic problems and traffic-related issues bog down the town.

The heritage town has witnessed infrastructure development to some extent in the recent past under the Smart Cities Mission of the Central government. However, it continues to grapple with problems such as open drains in a few lanes and by-lanes in the heart of the town, and traffic congestion during weekends and on holy days near Sri Brahadeeswarar Temple, a World Heritage Monument.

Several proposals to prevent traffic congestion near the temple and elsewhere in areas such as Mary’s Corner on Tiruchi Road, Karanthattankudi, Palliyagraharam and Vellaipillaiyarkovil junction still remain at the nascent stage.

A few metres away from the temple, statues installed on or near the roads hinder the free movement of vehicles, particularly mofussil buses from Ariyalur and Kumbakonam, which continue to pass through the town despite there being a by-pass road connecting the new bus stand and roads with the two places.

Vehicles move slowly on Big Temple Road near Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur.
| Photo Credit:
R. VENGADESH

The demand for relocation of the railway goods shed from Thanjavur Junction to Mariammankovil railway station, which was closed in 2018 due to poor patronage, or to Kudikadu, Saliyamangalam or Ammapettai on the east of Thanjavur junction, or to Aalakudi on the west of Thanjavur junction, is still pending.

“This would help ease the traffic congestion at Mary’s Corner caused by the movement of paddy-laden lorries to and from the goods shed,” says Revanth Kumar, a resident of Thanjavur.

Further, operation of long-distance buses to and from New Bus Stand, Thanjavur, through Thiruvaiyaru by-pass on the west of Thanjavur town and through Tiruchi Expressway on the east of the town will help reduce peak-hour traffic problems experienced regularly by locals at Mary’s Corner, where a road over-bridge exists.

Some of the projects taken up under the Smart Cities Mission such as reclamation of the moat, revival of waterways and setting up multi-purpose centres with garbage segregation facility across the town are yet to gain momentum.

“As a result, settlements along the dilapidated moat continue to exist except on Kizhavasal area where the dilapidated rampart structure abutting the moat was razed down. The concept of segregation of garbage at source has taken a beating except in areas such as Arulananda Nagar, where the residential association has shouldered the burden of educating the public and extracting their support to keep their area neat and clean,” says Prabhu of Thanjavur.

The constituency has witnessed a direct contest between the AIADMK and DMK in 1977, 1991, 1996, 2006, 2011, 2016 (when the election for the seat was countermanded and held later), 2019 by-elections and in 2021. The DMK won the seat five times and AIADMK thrice. The possibility of the two arch-rivals taking on each other directly for the ninth time in the elections has not materialised, as the AIADMK has allotted the seat to its alliance partner BJP.

As far as issues in rural pockets of the constituency is concerned, a reliable and adequate public transport facility is the primary issue in localities such as Vallam, Pillaiyarpatti, Nanjikottai and Punnainallur.