How Villivakkam has evolved from a quiet village to a thriving urban locality

D. Bhaskar Babu has been a resident of Sidco Nagar in Villivakkam for nearly 60 years. A witness to the phenomenal transformation the locality has undergone over the years, he gives us a glimpse into its past.

The bustling Villivakkam locality today, with its busy railway station and the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), was once a quiet village with hardly any civic amenities. It was administered by a panchayat union and had only mud roads.

Villivakkam has close links to the railways, with its railway station being a prominent one on the western section. It was earlier proposed to be converted into a terminal owing to its proximity to the ICF.

Old-timers still remember the vast Villivakkam lake, which once served as a lifeline for residents but has since been reduced to a pond. They also recall hundreds of motorists waiting to cross the railway level crossing at the Padi junction until a decade ago. With the construction of the Padi flyover, travel time from Villivakkam to Pattravakkam and Ambattur has reduced significantly. The flyover also led to the development of several residential areas near the Villivakkam railway station, Mr. Babu says.

SIDCO Nagar, the largest locality in Villivakkam with nearly 99 streets, once had only basic facilities such as post offices and banks. It has now become a prominent area with several commercial establishments, he adds.

(as told to R. Srikanth)