MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has made a fervent appeal from Madurai to the Madurai Corporation and to the Ministers hailing from Madurai to immediately take steps for cleaning the Vaigai River within the Madurai Corporation limits and to remove the encroachments on roads of both sides of Vaigai river in order to facilitate road traffic.
Mr.S.V.S.S.VelShankar, association president and Mr.S.P.Jeyapragasam, Honorary Advisor of the association, have made an appeal on 18th October 2022 in a letter addressed to Tamil Nadu Ministers Mr.P.Moorthy and Mr.P.T.R.Palanivel Thiagarajan, to the Madurai Mayor Mrs.Indirani Ponvasanth, Madurai District Collector Dr.S.Aneesh Sekhar, Madurai Corporation Commissioner Mr.Simranjeet Singh and to the senior police officials of Madurai city.
“The Sabaramati river in Gujarat was in a worse condition earlier. But years back, after proper planning the roads and parks were formed on both sides of the river so that people can do physical exercises in these parks. Likewise, it was announced that the Vaigai Riverbanks in Madurai will be developed under the Smart City programme, but it is not maintained in good condition right now at present,” Mr.Jeyapragasam has said in his letter which was given to the media in Madurai.
There was an appeal from the Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association that the cleaning work of Vaigai River should be executed quickly and at the same time development works on both sides of ther river bank here should be carried out immediately to reduce traffic congestion.
Another main demand was that encroachments on these roads must be removed completely. It was also pointed out in the appeal letter that for Madurai MP and Union Minister Mr.M.K.Alagiri had given funds to remove the ‘juliflora’ (Karuvelam plants) and leveled the Vaigai side in Madurai.
“Though quality roads were formed on both sides of the river, the residents encroach these roads and use them for their business. Water bodies must be protected by removing the ‘KARUVELAM’ plants / trees from the Vaigai river. Former MLA Mrs.Valarmathi Jebaraj gave MLA funds to clean the river Vaigai….. and we now request the local Ministers, Madurai Corporation authorities and the Madurai District Collector to review the condition of roads along the Vaigai River in Madurai,” Mr.S.P.Jeyapragasam, association honorary advisor and Mr.S.V.S.S.VelShankar, association president, have made in their appeal from Madurai on 18th October 2022.
