Chennai Councillor Talk: Sharmila wants to transform low-income areas in Ward 185

Sharmila Devi, ward 185 Councillor from Chennai's Ullagaram, aims to issue pattas for over 250 families in Kalaignar Karunanidhi Nagar.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)’s Ward 185 is reserved for women candidates. If not for the reservation, Sharmila Devi wouldn’t have made her political debut. “Both my father-in-law and husband have been in politics for over a decade. Since the ward was reserved for women, I contested and won to become Councillor,” she says.

Ward 185 of Chennai also constitutes areas in Ullagaram that were annexed to GCC in 2011. The locals face issues such as inadequate drinking water supply, lack of proper underground drainage systems and poor road infrastructure in these areas.

Ward 185 in Chennai

  • Name of the Councillor: Sharmila Devi Dhivakar
  • Age: 39
  • Party: DMK
  • Education: BA
  • Number: 9445467185 / 9841094666
Ward 185 Chennai map
Ward 185 map. Pic: Greater Chennai Corporation

Read more: Chennai Councillor Talk: Infrastructure and health are my focus, says Kayalvizhi, Ward 179


Primary goals for Ward 185

What would you consider your biggest achievements during your term as the councillor of Ward 185 so far?

The road infrastructure in Ward 185 has not been developed for the last 10–15 years. After I took charge, I ensured the roads were re-laid. I have brought in stormwater drain facilities and upgraded the classroom facilities in government schools within the ward. Also, Ward 185 did not have a Primary Health Centre (PHC) until recently. The residents had to go to the PHC in the nearby ward. Now, we have a PHC that caters to the needs of the people in this area.

How do you interact with the constituents? What kind of outreach activities have you held so far and plan in future? How can people in the ward contact you? 

My mobile number has been circulated to all my constituents. I attend to the complaints immediately and coordinate with the officials in-charge to resolve the issues. I have also formed WhatsApp groups for the residents to post their complaints.

How have you used your Ward Development Funds (the fund allotment has been increased from Rs 35 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs since February 2024)?

I have utilised Rs 70 lakhs of the Ward Development Funds so far. Most of this amount has gone for improving road infrastructure and upgrading old roads. We have also used the funds to change street name boards and for stormwater drain works.

Issues in Ward 185 of Chennai

What are the major issues in Ward 185? What measures have you taken to address them?

While basic facilities like road infrastructure, stormwater drains, and underground drainage are some of the key issues in Ward 185 of Chennai, the delay on issuance of patta for over 250 families in 57 acres of land in Kalaignar Karunanidhi Nagar is one of the major problems. We have been coordinating with the MLA concerned, and officials from the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) to come up with a solution to this issue.


Read more: Councillor Talk: Ensuring basic amenities the focus of Sherly Thomas in Ward 187 – Madipakkam


Ongoing development works

How are you addressing the issues about a lack of basic amenities in the ward?

The underground drainage pipelines laid before 2011 do not have the carrying capacity for the current population. Since the pipelines have become old, there is also leakage that leads to sewage mixing with drinking water. When we take these complaints to the officials of the concerned department, they address issues with temporary solutions. To resolve this permanently, we have requested the government to lay new pipelines.

Since we have completed the stormwater drain works in almost all the areas, the rainwater flows down in a couple of hours these days depending on the intensity of the rainfall. However, we are hoping that there no floods in the upcoming monsoon season.

Vision for Ward 185

What do you hope to achieve in your term as Councillor?

Ward 185 includes both developed neighbourhoods and underdeveloped areas where mostly low-income communities reside. I would be happy to transform areas like Kalaignar Karunanidhi Nagar, where these communities live, into model localities with all basic amenities in place.

What would your message be to women who want to come into politics?

Before I came into politics, my world was only my family and children. But when I see women councillors, who hail from a similar background and are quite bold in the council, I feel inspired and I think more women should come into grassroots politics.

What is your vision for Chennai?

The Chief Minister has introduced several initiatives for the betterment of education in government schools of Chennai. I wish that students across the city make optimum use of these facilities.

What the residents of Ward 185 in Chennai say:

Kadhiresan, a flower vendor in Ward 185 of Chennai has many issues but he points out that the mixing of sewage with drinking water is a major concern. “This apart, a lot of civic works are going on in the ward. I am not sure if the government has any plans before initiating such works as we see one department laying a road one day and another department digging it open the next day,” he says.

Also Read:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

City Buzz: Namma City most congested | Delhi air pollution fight… and more

In other news: Office space leasing up by 31% in cities, Road repair action in Delhi, Urban radar networks for weather forecasting, and more.

Namma City most congested Bengaluru is the most congested city in India, says the Traffic Quality Index (TQI), which gives a snapshot of road conditions. Bengaluru scores high above 800 in the extreme congestion category. It is followed by Mumbai (787), Delhi (747) and Hyderabad (718). Even 9,000 AI-powered CCTV cameras, from which data collected feeds into map-based services, find it difficult to develop solutions. Traffic management is daunting, especially during rush hour and the monsoons. Score: Deccan Herald Green War Room to fight Delhi air pollution A 24×7 ‘Green War Room’ to control air pollution was launched by Delhi…

Similar Story

City Buzz: Mumbai’s mobility masterplan | 5G covers 97% of cities… and more

Other news: 5,687 traffic violations hourly in B'luru | Massive expansion likely in mall space | Indian companies lead in emissions control.

Mumbai masterplan for roads Mumbai’s development authority has drafted a Rs 58,000 masterplan to build a network of ring roads that are supposed to connect all corners of the city by 2029, cutting travel time significantly.  Mumbai’s Ring Road masterplan prepared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) outlines mega road connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) — from Vadodara, Gujarat border in the north to Alibaug in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra down South, and towards Navi Mumbai/Thane. It will set up a complex network of roads, flyovers, reclaimed coastal roads, bridges and underwater tunnels, planning to declutter and…