T.N. Assembly election 2026: Despite a slew of infrastructure projects, Poonamallee constituency residents point to gaps in civic amenities

Poonamallee constituency, the western gateway to the city, has a mixed population of urban, semi-urban and rural with a total of 3.32 lakh voters.

The southern part of the constituency hosts significant industrial activities, while agricultural villages extend towards the north. The region is grappling with rapid urbanization, especially in the outskirts of Poonamallee town and Thirumazhisai.

Although various infrastructure projects such as Metro Rail, flyovers and Outer Ring Road have been developed in the last five years, the constituency continues to face gaps in basic infrastructure. These include the need for a functional underground sewage system, drivable internal roads, and a reliable source of drinking water.

Notably, Poonamallee town, which gives its name to the reserved constituency, does not have an underground sewerage network. Despite being home to Chembarambakkam lake, the district continues to face persistent water supply problems.

Social worker K. Achuthan pointed out the ongoing social problems near Poonamallee bus stand. “The area faces severe traffic congestion due to the presence of civil courts and sub-registries. School children find it difficult to commute to work. Ongoing Metro Rail works leave roads untidy and not properly repaved, worsening traffic congestion and causing inconvenience to motorists. Despite being a municipality, many basic infrastructure facilities are still missing.”

Poonamallee resident Kasi Viswanathan said Kattupakkam district also has no primary health center (PHC) and there is no government arts college in the constituency. “We have to travel to the city for most essential services.”

The constituency is home to thousands of small and medium industries spread across Thirumazhisai, Kakkalur, Senneerkuppam, Varadharajapuram and Nemam. Due to increasing population and high industrial density, traffic has become a major problem in areas such as Kattupakkam, Mangadu Junction, Kumananchavadi, Nazarathpet and Kakkalur.

unrepaired roads

While the national highways passing through the constituency witness heavy traffic congestion, the roads around Poonamallee town have not been repaired for years and remain clogged during both peak and off-peak hours. The area is also affected by encroachment by autorickshaws and shared vehicles, especially near the bus stand where rainwater drains are incomplete.

M. Haridoss, one of the lawyers, stated that no effort had been made to revive the electric crematorium and said, “The garbage bins are in disarray, there is no proper piped water supply and the sanitary conditions are poor.”

A four-cornered contest is on for the upcoming Assembly poll. The ruling party has fielded its MLA A. Krishnaswamy, who has also served as Member of Parliament from Sriperumbudur twice. He won the by-election in 2019 and was re-elected in this constituency in 2021. TA Elumalai is contesting from Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). Naam Tamizhar Katchi candidate Megala and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate Kutty aka Prakasam are also in the fray.

AMMK’s TA Ezhumalai said, “There is a large population of underprivileged people in this constituency. With the intention of serving them, I became an MLA in 2016 and rented a government hospital for the constituency.”

DMK candidate A. Krishnaswamy said that most of the promises made in the 2021 Assembly elections have been fulfilled.

“While serving as an opposition MLA during the AIADMK regime, I moved a caution motion for Metro Rail services. Metro Rail works, which started in 2021, have now been completed and the commissioning of the project was delayed only due to the Chief Minister’s planning restrictions,” he said.

He had also promised to implement an underground drainage system for the Poonamallee municipality. “Tenders have been floated for the project worth Rs 280 crore and the foundation stone has already been laid,” he said.

He also said that Poonamallee, the birthplace of Vaishnava saint Thirukatchi Nambi, is home to the historic Varadharaja Perumal temple. “The temple chariot, which remained dysfunctional for nearly 70 years, has now been restored and successfully paraded during the Masi festival,” he added.

It was published – 06 April 2026 05:00 IST