Lakeside view to life at Red Hills

Chennai: Naravarikuppam is famous for its rice mills, reservoir and a wide variety of paddy shops. Wonder why then you have not heard of it? That is because it masquerades in the name of Red Hills.

Red Hills is a selection grade town panchayat in Tiruvallur district and is spread across 5 sq km.

Its reservoir as on date holds a huge quantity of water (2,124 Mcft against its full capcity of 3,300 mcft) when compared to Poondi, Chol­avarm and Chemba­ra­m­­b­akkam reservoirs, tho­­ugh rain played spoilsport throughout the state.

But still, for many, life revolves around the spar­kli­ng waters of Red Hills.

“I have my lunch here every day and spend some happy moments seeing some boys who come with their handmade fishing rods to try their luck in the lake,” says Raghu, an employee of a mobile network company.

Leaning over a wall in a corner outside the reservoir, Raghu says that many families come and admire the beauty of the lake as evening sets in.

But it was an arduous day for Dhanammal who had come a long distance to the banks of the lake to wash clothes.

“There was some problem with the pipeline connection and we did not receive water at our home for the past three days,” she complains. Climbing down the reservoir, after inhaling the fresh air atop, it is now the pungent smell of paddy that hits the nostrils.

“Around 80 to 100 rice godowns are in Red Hills. Many of the rice mills which functioned inside Red Hills were shut and are now 5-10 kilometres away,” said K. Gopalan, president, association of nel mandi owners.

“It has hit our business considerably as transportation charges with the soaring diesel prices affect us,” he adds. Town panchayat chairman Rajendiran says that several rice mills which functioned inside Red Hills have been closed for polluting the atmosphere.

“Around 30 rice mills functioned here and people often complained that they were polluting the air. Now, only five mills function which will also be closed soon,” he said.

But something more than the mills seemed to bother the chairman who says that the government funds were never satisfactory to develop the place. “Civic amenities for the town are being done with the tax money collected here. We do not get suffiicent funds from the government,” he says.

However, the town, comprising 18 wards, recently received three public toilets, a community hall and also a gasifier crematorium. But, for the local body, the problem doesn’t stop with the funds but also extends to poor sp­a­ce for dumping.

“We are now dumping waste and segregating them ins­i­de the Naravarik­upp­am burial ground, but this cannot be a permanent solution,” the chairman pointed out

“The government is yet to give us the land at Vadaperumbakkam to set up a dumpyard,” he adds. “We have taken a few initiatives to create a pollution-free environment like the cubicles (large drum like structure) constructed across the town for the public to dump only biodegradable waste,” said Muthu, work inspector. “But the public do not cooperate,” he adds.

A similar scenario is repeated in the case of illegal sewage connections which drain into the stormwater drains across the town. The officials say that the town can achieve absolute cleanliness only when people realise their responsibility.