Chitlapakkam

Chitlapakkam சிட்லப்பாக்கம்
neighbourhood
Chitlapakkam Show map of Chennai Chitlapakkam Show map of Tamil Nadu Chitlapakkam Show map of India
Coordinates: 12°56′15″N 80°08′19″E / 12.93739°N 80.13874°E / 12.93739; 80.13874Coordinates: 12°56′15″N 80°08′19″E / 12.93739°N 80.13874°E / 12.93739; 80.13874
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Metro	Chennai
Area
• Total	2.95 km2 (1.14 sq mi)
Population (2001)
• Total	25,292
• Density	8,600/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	TN-11

Chitlapakkam is a Residential Locality in Chennai metropolitan area, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is well known for its small, perennial lake and adjoining ecosystems.

Overview

Chitlapakkam is a fast-developing suburb, located about 7 km south from the Chennai International Airport. Its area is 2.95 km² and density is 8,581 inh./km² (as of 2001).^[1] The neighbourhood is served by Tambaram Sanatorium railway station, which is 2 km from the locality. Proximity to major suburbs, such as Pallavaram, Chromepet, Selaiyur, Tambaram Sanatorium, and Tambaram aids in the development of the township.

Along with the basic theme of peaceful middle/upper middle class kinship the main attraction near the area is the famed Kumaran Kundram temple of Lord Muruga atop the hill. It is a 15-minute walk from Chitlapakkam.

Chitlapakkam Lake has water almost all throughout the year; there are plans to modernize it with boating facilities.

Chitlappakkam and Sithalapakkam are frequently confused, as both are suburbs of Tambaram. Chitlappakkam is the more developed and well-established suburb.

Chitlapakkam is a fast-developing part of the city, and many people from Chennai city have relocated there because of its green environment, water availability, proximity to OMR and to MEPZ & GST Road. With advent of mini buses connecting Chitlapakkam to Chrompet and to Tambaram and Tambaram Sanatorium railway stations and also due to introduction of share autos connectivity and access has dramatically improved. There is a government bus No 52 D which operates 2 services from the chitlapakkam pond to Parrys Corner at 11 am and also at 4 pm daily. Similarly mini bus No S3 connects Chitlapakkam to Chrompet while bus No S8 connects it to Tambaram.

Lake

Chitlapakkam Lake

The Chitlapakkam lake, coordinates 12°56'2"N 80°8'10"E, measuring 50 acre is the chief water body in the neighbourhood.^[3] Earlier, Chilapakkam was a main agricultural area. Pachamalai hill used to serve as a source for the Chitlapakkam lake. This lake water was used for irrigation before urbanization. After the conversion of agricultural farms into residential areas, the water from the lake is not used for irrigation. There are three channels at the foot of the hill, which have been connected to the Chitlapakkam Lake.^[2]

Water level in Chitlapakkam lake

Because of the presence of lake, the water table level is higher compared with many other areas in Chennai. The level of water table in this area is 2.50–8 m, and the level of TDS is 400–900 ppm.^[4]

According to a report submitted to the Kancheepuram district administration, improvement work on the lake would require an estimated ₹ 4.5 million for the improvement of the lake. The public has funded ₹ 1.5 million and the state government is funding ₹ 3 million.^[3]

Newly laid pathway around Chitlapakkam lake

On 10 February 2013, work to build a 750-m pathway around the lake, at the cost of ₹ 4.5 million, commenced. It is proposed that the lake will be used for boating and a garden will be maintained around.^[5]

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[6] Chitlapakkam had a population of 25,292. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Chitlapakkam has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 86% and female literacy of 82%. 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

In 1971, Chitlapakkam was upgraded as a town panchayat. The town hit the headlines in the late 1980s and early 1990s when residents came together to successfully protect the Chitlapakkam Lake. Fearing that onslaught in different forms would irreparably damage the lake, like-minded citizens joined together and mobilised public support and sensitised the State government to the need for preventing the shrinking of the lake in the form of encroachments.

In 2004, when the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply classified Chitlapakkam town panchayat as a special village panchayat, along with many other urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu, residents here impressed the elected representatives on the need for seeking municipality status. Though the council passed a resolution to this effect, the State government did not consider it.^[7]

Activities and landmarks

Varadaraja theatre

While industrial activity has been influenced positively due to the Warehousing Corporation of India's godowns the real growth has come about due to a heightened sense of citizen's participation and civic mindedness. This has happened gradually and in a non linear and participative fashion due to the efforts of various patriotic individuals and associations of persons. In this context the role of the civic body and its representatives need to be lauded since they do take feedback and try to implement the suggestions.A notable association has been the muthulakshminagar welfare association which regularly meets the concerned ministers and public representatives to take up activities specific to the upliftment of chitlapakkam like improvement of water table, waste segregation and preventing burning of waste at the chitlapakkam lake, making efforts to include chitlapakkam in the chembarapakkam water scheme, ensuring more bus routes to operate via chitlapakkam and so on ^[8] The real estate boom in the locality is due to a confluence of factors like abundant water supply, proximity to the IT companies in OMR & MEPZ, excellent quality of life and proximity to the city. Some of the landmarks in the area include Varadharaja theatre, Chitlapakkam tank, Indira Cotton Mill, MEPZ, Saravana Stores at Chrompet and so on .

" Chitlapakkam Rising " is another interesting youth led social movement : See this article for details : http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/when-streets-talk/article7637854.ece

Infrastructure

Community hall

Unlike other local bodies, especially along arterial roads such as the Velachery Main Road, Grand Southern Trunk Road, Medavakkam Main Road and Tambaram Mudichur road, where there were plenty of private marriage halls, there were only a couple of them within the Chitlapakkam town panchayat limits. They were either not big enough or beyond the reach of the middle-class and lower income groups. In June 2012, community hall that was built next to the town panchayat office by the Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat was renovated. A sum of Rs. 760,000 was spent on sprucing up the walls and floors. Concrete floors were replaced with tiles in the ground and first floors of the hall. The open space outside the halls was fitted with contemporary cement concrete tiles. Another sum of Rs. 260,000 was spent on separate washrooms for men and women. Many families in Chitlapakkam organizing functions such as wedding engagements, get-togethers, wedding receptions and even birthday parties find this convenient.^[9]

Post office

The building housing the post office, which is adjacent to the Chitlapakkam panchayat office, was inaugurated in 1969 by the former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran. He was the Alandur Member of the Legislative Assembly at that time. although it was built to accommodate the post office, even today the Department of Posts is paying a monthly rent of Rs. 500 to the panchayat.^[10]

Transportation

The neighbourhood is served by two Chennai Suburban Railway stations: Tambaram sanatorium and Chromepet. Road transport for this locality is catered by government-run MTC buses and private share autos. BT roads in Chitlapakkam have been upgraded with the financial assistance from NABARD RDIF during the year 2009 to 2010 at the estimated cost of 1840,000.^[11] The proposed Mono rail station at Camp Road junction which is 2 km away can give quick access to Vandalur Zoo on the one side and to velachery on the other side.

Wood-gas-fired crematorium

A sum of Rs. 4.4 million was spent on a wood-gas-fired crematorium.^[11] Chitlapakkam is the first among 561 town panchayats in Tamil Nadu to have this facility. The State government gave a grant of Rs. 3.3 million and the remaining cost of was met by the Chitlapakkam town panchayat from its general funds. The State government has also decided to entrust the responsibility of the facility’s maintenance to Chromepet-based Shree Gayethri Trust, a voluntary organisation.^[12]

Parks

The concept of the neighbourhood park as a recreational & as a social vehicle for societal and community interaction actually works in Chitlapakkam. Each neighbourhood of about 10-20 streets has a common neighborhood park which are all well maintained by the chitlapakkam panchayat. This allows children to play with their friends and also allows opportunities for morning and evening walks for residents.

Restaurants

Eating out has become more and more common nowadays, and today one can find quite an excellent menu of eating out options in Chitlapakkam due to its proximity to Selaiyur, Chrompet and Tambaram. Some of the restaurants that are worth mentioning are Adyar Ananda Bhavan (Veg-Tambaram-4 km), Adyar Ananda Bhavan (Veg-Chrompet-3 km), Vasantha Bhavan(Veg-Tambaram), NammaVeedu Vasantha Bhavan (Veg-Near MIT Bridge, Chrompet-2 km), Domino's Pizzas (at Chrompet and at Selaiyur-3 km), GK Veg (near Varadaraja theatre & also near Sanatorium railway station), Buharis (Non Veg-3 km), Karaikudi (Non Veg-Chrompet-3 km), Sree Bhavan (Veg-Camp Road-2 km with attached Bar too), Anjappa Chettinad (Non Veg-Chrompet-3 km) and many more.

Shopping options

The recent trend of many reputed jewellers opening shop in GST road in the Chrompet–Tambaram stretch has added a new dimension to the Chitlapakkam shopping experience inasmuch as one need not now go to T-nagar to purchase jewellery in shops like GRT. Further the opening of Saravana Stores (of Ranganathan street fame) now being opened just next to the Shell Petol Bunk in Chrompet will change the profile of Chitlapakkam shopping experience due to the sheer proximity and convenience. Shanmugham Road in Tambaram with its enormous shopping options continues to hold sway located as it is at just about 4 km from Chitlapakkam.

Educational institutions

Schools

There are many reputed schools in the vicinity. Nearby Schools include

• NSN (Matriculation)
• NSN Memorial(CBSE)
• Jaigopal Garodia National (JGGN)
• Vivekananda (CBSE),
• Sankara(CBSE)
• Sankara(Matriculation)
• Alpha (Maticulation)
• Alwyn(CBSE)
• Zion(Matriculation)
• Rosily(Matriculation)
• Annai Violet (Matriculation)
• Jans Matriculation School

Waste management

Dump yard

The open space near a lake in Chitlapakkam has been converted into a dump yard. The dump yard has been in existence for more than a century. The city generates about 8 tonnes of waste every day. Sanitary workers of the local body dump 3 tonnes of waste generated by the town at the half-acre yard in front of the lake and set fire to it. The smoke generated creates woes to the general public and the patients who come to the adjacent government hospital. The remaining 5 tonnes of waste is collected from 10,030 households in the 18 wards of the local body by Green Friends of Hand-In-Hand (HIH). It is segregated in a scientific method in a biocompost shed. HIH is a Kancheepuram-based NGO that specializes in solid waste management in the state.^[13]

Liquid waste management plant

Chitlapakkam was the only urban local body in the region to have a liquid waste management plant to prevent sewage from entering Sembakkam lake, treat it and use it again for gardening purposes. There are plans to buy some more vehicles for better collection and disposal of garbage.^[8] However, this project too has not been completely successful as sewage continues to drain into the lake from multiple entry points.^[14]

Solid waste segregation shed

During 2004, the Chitlapakkam town panchayat began door-to-door collection of garbage in seven of its wards. Twelve tricycles were used and conservancy workers were appointed to collect garbage from the houses. Each tricycle manned two workers. The collected rubbish were segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances in a segregation shed, constructed behind the town panchayat office.^[15]

Garbage management is a critical deliverable of any local administration. This article in the Times of India dated 15 August 2015 highlights a few successes of the Chitlapakkam waste segregation experiment and how Chitlapakkam has shown the way to tackle its own problems relating to hygiene.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Suburb-shows-way-to-hygiene-tackles-its-own-waste/articleshow/48496043.cms

Location in Context

	Chromepet	Chromepet	Chromepet
	Tambaram Sanitorium/Chitlapakkam Lake		Hastinapuram Lake / Nanmangalam Reserved Forest
		Chitlapakkam
	Tambaram East	Selaiyur	Hastinapuram Lake

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chitlapakkam.