As polls near, Srivaikuntam residents flag infrastructure woes and livelihood issues

With the upcoming Assembly elections fast approaching, the Srivaikuntam constituency, home to the country’s significant archaeological sites, Adichanallur and Sivakalai, is gearing up for the contest between a Dravidian party (AIADMK) and a national party (Indian National Congress).

Srivaikuntam town which has witnessed a rise in pilgrimage tourism in recent years, continues to await basic infrastructure facilities such as well maintained roads, clean drinking water and proper sewage system.

S. Kannan, a CITU member from Srivaikuntam said that the town is in dire need of infrastructure improvements, stating, “the Perumal Koil Road was laid a year ago. However, it is already badly damaged and requires immediate restoration.”

He added that hundreds of tourists visit the Sri Vaikuntha Perumal Temple every day, yet there were no proper restroom facilities for women near the temple. “The old Srivaikuntam court building has been in a dilapidated state for many years. Multiple petitions have been submitted to the government to use the space for construction of lodging facilities for tourists. However no action has been taken regarding this,” he said

He also pointed out the concerns over drinking water supply. According to him, water was being sourced directly from the Tamirabharani river to overhead tanks without adequate filtration. “One can see resin like substance floating in the stored water, making it unsafe and uncomfortable to drink,” Mr. Kannan explained.

The constituency has 293 polling stations and has a total of 2,12,885 voters. This includes 1,05,099 men, 1,07,782 women and four others, following the completion of the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Tamil Nadu.

For the upcoming Assembly election, AIADMK has fielded S. P. Shanmuganathan. The Congress is contesting as part of the Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK.

Another major grievance echoed across some of the parts of constituency such as Padmanabhamangalam and Sri Moolakarai near Srivaikuntam was quarrying, which was causing high concern among the residents.

A resident from Sri Moolakarai village panchayat, predominantly inhabited by Scheduled Caste people said that the residents were suffering because of quarrying near the village due to heavy movement of mineral laden trucks and pollution affecting the agricultural lands and health condition of the people.

“Several times these trucks have fatally knocked our livestocks and many times villagers staged road blockade protests. However, after a few days, the same route is reused for for the transportation of minerals,” the resident added.

It is to be noted that in September 2025, during a public hearing in Petmanagar on setting a stone quarry at Sri Moolakarai in the district triggered heater argument between supporters of quarry owner and farmers, who fiercely opposed mining permission granted to Nainar Balaji, eldest son of Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran.

Anitha (name changed), a resident of Sri Moolakarai highlighted the lack of transportation facilities. She said villagers are forced to walk nearly three kilometres to Petmanagar for school and other essential services.

“The village has around 200 households and residents are still waiting for regular bus service even today,” she said.

Karthikeyan, a resident of Sathankulam stressed the need to widen Sathankulam main road, at least near the bus stand, citing severe traffic congestion especially during holidays and night. He added that a large number of private omni buses to Chennai, Bengaluru and Coimbatore parked outside the Sathankulam bus stand to board passengers, worsening the congestion.

The Srivaikuntam region has extensive agricultural land known for banana cultivation. Farmers believe that establishing a regulated market or banana based industry would greatly benefit them.

Shanmugasundaram, a farmer from Sivakalai recalled that plans for banana powder industry in the region were announced nearly a decade ago but never materialised. He said that Vadakaal irrigation region alone has around 25,000 acres of banana fields and farmers struggle to sell their produce as local traders procure from Sathyamangalam region instead.

“The establishment of a regulated market or banana based processing industry would be highly beneficial for farmers,” he added.

In the constituency, residents continue to voice over lack of basic infrastructure, environmental issues and livelihood challenges. Addressing these long pending demands will be crucial in shaping both voter sentiment and the region’s future development.

Published – April 02, 2026 09:14 pm IST