A major commercial hub plagued by inadequate civic infrastructure

Beneath the bustling commercial facade of Chennai’s premier shopping hub lies a civic infrastructure that has been struggling to match rapid urbanisation. We are talking about Thiyagarayanagar Assembly Constituency, popularly known as T. Nagar.

The constituency includes areas such as Kodambakkam, Ashok Nagar, West Mambalam, Pondy Bazaar, a portion of C.I.T. Nagar, and parts of Vadapalani.

Residents here primarily point to severe infrastructure bottlenecks caused by rampant commercialisation. Within two years of pedestrianisation, T. Nagar has seen a 15% to 20% increase in commercial sales and up to 20% rise in land value, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

V.S. Jayaraman of the T. Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) said, “Plinth levels are rising due to rapid urbanisation, unchecked commercial and residential encroachments continue to increase. However, the capacity of the sewer and stormwater networks remains the same, leading to frequent overflows.”

Narrow lanes

Many vehicles, including ambulances and fire tenders, struggle to navigate narrow lanes. Further, the newly constructed flyover named after former DMK MLA J. Anbazhagan has done little to ease traffic congestion, he said.

The multi-level parking facility in Pondy Bazaar is often non-operational, under maintenance, or in full capacity, while the pedestrian bridge is largely utilised only by morning joggers, he said.

Stating that elected representatives have failed to consistently inspect localities, he claimed that the previous MLA was more responsive to grievances than the current elected representative.

V. Kumar, a Pondy Bazaar resident, agrees with this. He alleged that the incumbent DMK MLA has been inactive regarding basic civic works, citing uncleared garbage in interior lanes, poor roads, and the proliferation of posters on transformers.

Flooding woes

Murali, a resident of West Mambalam for 75 years, said the major Dravidian parties were responsible, over the decades, for unchecked commercialisation and that while candidates come and go, the core issues remain unresolved, forcing many long-time residents to relocate.

Muthulakshmi, another West Mambalam resident, said the felling of trees on Arya Gowda Road for the construction of stormwater drains by the Corporation failed to prevent rainwater from entering homes in the locality.

“Residents thought there would be no inundation, but my home suffered waterlogging all-night, and my two-wheeler was submerged during the December 2023 downpour. The minimal stagnation in 2025 was solely due to deficit rainfall,” she said.

Responding to the grievances, sitting MLA J. Karunanithi said the parking issue, mainly due to the Metro Rail work for the past two years has been flagged to the GCC Commissioner for swift resolution. He maintained that overall traffic has reduced due to a shift towards online shopping.

To mitigate traffic congestion, the new flyover has made it easy to travel from Saidapet to T. Nagar, Kodambakkam, and Nungambakkam, he said. One-way traffic near the North Usman Road – Bazulla Road signal is being planned in coordination with the Chennai City Traffic Police.

Further, he said the ₹3 crore annual Member of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme (MLACDS) fund was used for upgrading bus stands and community halls.

Electoral history

T. Nagar is historically a competitive seat with INC, AIADMK, and DMK winning it.

The third front or the parties other than the DMK and the AIADMK have also played a role by splitting the votes.

The DMK, despite the anti-incumbency factor, would be hoping for a successive victory, and the selection of the candidate could become crucial to its chances of retaining the seat.

As the AIADMK secured three consecutive victories in 2006, 2011, and 2016, it would be hoping for a facile victory. In fact, this is the only area in Chennai in which BJP has a councillor, among the 200 wards in the city.

The entry of actor Vijay’s TVK and the decreased number of voters after the SIR process could make the contest tighter.

Published – March 23, 2026 05:00 am IST