Coming from a family of politicians, it was a natural decision for JK Manikandan, the councillor of Ward 186 in Chennai, to choose a career in politics. His father PA Jayachandran has been in the public domain for almost four decades and this paved the way for Manikandan’s political journey. In 2006, when Ullagaram was a municipality, his father won as the President, while Manikandan became the Vice President. Back then, he was part of the AIADMK.
After the death of the then AIADMK supremo, J Jayalalithaa, Manikandan joined DMK. He was given a ticket to contest in the urban local body polls of 2022 representing DMK, in which he won by a margin of 3,986 votes.
Ward 186 in Chennai
- Name of the Councillor: JK Manikandan
- Age: 47
- Party: DMK
- Education: M.Com LLB
- Number: 9445467186 / 9841066761
Primary goals for Ward 186
What would you consider your biggest achievements during your term as the councillor of Ward 186 so far?
Veerangal Oodai is the major floodwater carrier for the localities such as Adambakkam, Meenambakkam, Nanganallur, Madipakkam, Velachery and Pallikaranai. Since it did not have a retaining wall, it was challenging to stop the encroachments. While the first contractor quit, we had to float the tender again to find another contractor. After so many such challenges, we have finished the construction of the retaining wall and now the Oodai will be able to carry the rainwater seamlessly. This has come as a relief to around 6,000 to 7,000 people. I would consider this as an achievement.
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?
I am active on Facebook and WhatsApp. Since I have been active in the locality for almost two decades, my constituents are aware of me and they all have my mobile number. Besides, I also go for field inspections at least thrice a week and update about my activities on my Facebook page.
How have you used your Ward Development Funds (the fund allotment has been increased from Rs 35 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs from February 2024)?
I never use my Ward Development Fund for civic works like road infrastructure, drain works or installing name boards. My priority is to develop schools, libraries and parks. I have spent Rs 8 lakhs for developing a library, Rs 25 lakhs for the anganwadi, Rs 16 lakh for park development and Rs 15 lakh for shuttle court so far.
Read more: Councillor Talk: Menaga Shankar of Ward 197 promises access to education and government services
Issues in Ward 186 of Chennai
What are the major issues in Ward 186? What measures have you taken to address them?
Ward 186 in Chennai was one of the annexed wards of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). Many houses here did not have underground drainage and drinking water connections. I have ensured these basic amenities are there in most of the houses now.
Ram Nagar, which falls within both in Madipakkam and Puzhudhivakkam, is among the few worst-hit areas during the floods. Stormwater drain works worth Rs 130 crore are ongoing in these areas. Around 75% of the stormwater drain works are completed now. Once it is completed, flooding issues will be resolved in these areas. We can do these developmental works only to a certain extent. If it rains from 30 cm to 50 cm on the same day, as it did in December 2023, water will definitely be stagnant. But this time we are sure that it will drain much faster once the rain stops.
Ongoing development works
One of the key issues pointed out by the residents of Ward 186 in Chennai is the inconvenience caused by the ongoing civic works like the stormwater drain works. How are you handling this issue?
Before starting the work, we communicated to the residents as well as the shopkeepers that we would be digging open the street and how long it would take for us to complete the work. During the work, the individual underground drainage connections might be temporarily suspended. We let them know about these issues well in advance. We also ensure that the work is completed as fast as possible.
Roads are laid by the GCC. When the other department workers (like CMWSSB) dig up the road, it is not re-laid properly. Residents complain that it creates potholes on the newly-laid roads. How are you addressing this issue?
The CMWSSB workers usually dig up the road to clear the blockage. Often, the blockage is created when people flush the sanitary napkins in the toilets. There is no other way but to open the drainage slabs to clear this blockage. However, we ensure the road is plastered again after the work is done.
Read more: Chennai Councillor Talk: Infrastructure and health are my focus, says Kayalvizhi, Ward 179
Vision for Ward 186
What do you hope to achieve in your term as Councillor?
I want to ensure the basic amenities are assured for all my constituents. By the end of my tenure, I hope the electricity cables in Ward 186 of Chennai are made underground.
What the residents of Ward 186 in Chennai say:
“Flooding is a major issue in our area. During every monsoon, the water remains stagnant for four to five days. We see some stormwater drain works are underway but I am not sure if they are following the street gradient. We will know the efficacy of the work, only after it is completed,” says Sathishkumar, a resident of Ram Nagar.
Annalakshmi, a shopkeeper in Ward 186 of Chennai, says that the stormwater drain work has been going on in the locality for more than three weeks and that it has disrupted her business. “We see one department laying the roads and the other department digging it open and leaving it without properly repairing the roads. It leads to frequent accidents. She also points out that the metro construction work has increased the pollution in the locality.