T.N. Assembly election 2026: Ponneri constituency residents yet to reap benefits of industrial development

The Ponneri Assembly Constituency consists of 100 villages, with a majority of the population being fishing community, dependent on the sea. However, the constituency has also become an industrial powerhouse with several big industries, including three important power generating stations located in and around Minjur.

While the reserved constituency has several industries, residents have not reaped the benefits, either in the form of employment in the manufacturing units, or any worthwhile projects created from the huge Corporation Social Responsibility (CSR) funds distributed by the big corporations functioning in the constituency.

The constituency consists of a major portion of Ponneri Taluk, including towns such as Ponneri, Minjur, Arani, and Athipattu. It also covers numerous villages in areas such as Thirupalaivanam, Pazhaverkadu, and Kattupalli, with more than 100 villages, including over 50 villages that cover the fishing communities in the taluk.

Check dams

Social activist M. Abubakkar Siddique pointed out the need for check dams to be constructed in Minjur to prevent rainwater from being wasted, as the Kosasthalai River and the Arani river evacuate into the sea. “Also, the groundwater has turned saline due to the presence of several power stations, and has become unfit for consumption. So if the check dams are constructed across the Kosasthalai River it would improve the quality of the groundwater,” he said.

Mr. Abubakkar, who is also the local area Councillor of Minjur panchayat, wanted piped drinking water to be brought to Minjur and surrounding areas from the Poondi Reservoir or by setting up a desalination plant, which has been the demand for several years.

The villagers in Minjur want speedy construction of the flyover being constructed across the railway tracks. The work on the flyover was being executed at a sluggish pace for a prolonged period and has become a major issue causing traffic congestion. Residents of more than 50 surrounding villages would be using this flyover to cross Minjur.

The presence of several manufacturing industries, along with the establishment of a number of warehouses in the vicinity of Kattupalli Port, has resulted in heavy movement of large trucks through Minjur.

Residents of Ponneri want the government primary health centre (PHC) to be upgraded in Minjur along with the Government Hospital in the Ponneri town. Given that thousands are employed in major industrial establishments, where a majority of them are being migrant workers, including the North Chennai Thermal Power Station, Kattupalli Port, Adani Port, and Indian Oil Corporation the Minjur PHC does not have the capability to provide adequate emergency medical assistance or treating industrial accident victims.

Since this region has a high concentration of industrial workers, there is a demand to establish an Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital and to significantly upgrade the existing PHC.

Road accidents

The heavy traffic congestion has resulted in several accidents and most of the accident victims are being taken to the Government Stanley Hospital and not to the Ponneri Hospital, which has a minimum accident care facility.

Hundreds of students from surrounding villages, including Athipattu, Nandiyambakkam, Melur, Nalur, Ariyanvayal, and Neydavayal are unable to pursue higher education because of the absence of government higher secondary school or government arts college in Minjur.

In the main Ponneri locality, which has a large residential population along with a trading community, the residents want a new district to be carved out from the Tiruvallur district, similar to Chengalpattu, which was carved out from Kancheepuram district.

D. Dhanushkodi, secretary of Tiruvallur Maavatta Makkal Mempattu Sangam, said the Ponneri being a revenue taluk headquarters, it should be made into a separate district, as residents have to travel more than 50 km to give representations in the Tiruvallur Collectorate.

Social activist Dhanushkodi also pointed out that though Ponneri has a government college, a large number of students from nearby villages, including Gummidipoondi, compete to get seats in the college. As a result, students are forced to go to the arts and science colleges in Chennai, which is more than 40 km away with very limited public transport facility. A women college needs to be opened, he added.

P. Chakrapani, a resident of Balaji Nagar in Ponneri, citing the huge traffic congestion caused at the subway in Theradi street, wanted a overbridge across the railway tracks to be constructed. The subway connecting G.N.T. Road via Theradi street to Pazhaverkadu lake is in a dilapidated state with traffic getting clogged up regularly. During the rainy season, the subway becomes unmotorable, due to water stagnation.

Inadequate bus facility

The residents also point to inadequate public bus transport facility, and the slow construction of the bus terminus near the Ponneri market.

The only reliable public transport facility is the suburban trains, but it is also not dependable, as they take more than two hours to reach the Beach or Moore Market complex railway station.

Published – April 07, 2026 05:04 am IST