As the Convener of the Perambur Neighborhood Development Forum and an active citizen journalist, I have spent the past few years auditing the public infrastructure across the city. I have regularly shared the findings from my observations with the community through digital, social and print media.
A few days ago, I visited the Vyasarpadi Jeeva Railway Station to conduct an on-the-spot audit on the state of its public infrastructure. Here is what I found:
Lifts and foot overbridge
The concrete steps on the existing foot overbridge, located on the platform, are dilapidated and need urgent repair. A new, ceramic-tiled staircase connects the platform to the booking counter on the southern side. There is provision for a new lift, and a ramp from the ticketing counter to reach the lift is also paved with ceramic tiles. But, a small part of the steel railings on the stairway is missing.
Ticketing counter, waiting area and subway
The booking counter has only two clerical cadre staff to manage all the operations. No station master, technical staff or security personnel are deployed. The open area near the booking counter is dirty, with discarded items dumped in one corner. The display board is defunct. The railway authorities have put up a notice on the display board at the entrance, asking commuters to avoid using the subway when it’s inundated.
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Access roads to the railway station
The Ganeshapuram Subway gets inundated every monsoon, making the station inaccessible from the southern side. The construction of the Ganeshapuram Flyover was taken up as an alternate solution, and work is in progress.
Moreover, as the localities around this station are undergoing redevelopment, there is an urgent need to provide wider roads, footpaths, pedestrian crossings, skywalks and other infrastructure to cater to the requirements of the commuters.
The road leading to the booking counter on the southern side of the railway tracks is not paved properly. The LED streetlights provided are not enough, as the locality is known to be a breeding ground for illegal activities. Because of this, residents of Arundhatiyar Nagar and BNC Mills Quarters, a settlement of workers behind the North Town gated community, had sought the restoration of the road leading to the railway station.
Also, the narrow railway underpass connecting Perambur High Road on the North Side to Arundhatiyar Nagar needs urgent renovation. Thousands of pedestrians and commuters use this underpass to reach the Vyasarpadi Jeeva Station since the road leading to the station on the southern side has been abandoned.
Garbage dumping and open defecation is rampant in this area. So, the Vyasarpadi Jeeva Station has become inaccessible from the road on the southern side for over 2,000 below-poverty-line (BPL) families from a nearby settlement. Over the past four years, residents have made several representations to the railway authorities and the local administration regarding this issue.
Restrooms and public spaces
The public restrooms located behind the booking counter were locked. Even the access to the restroom meant for the differently-abled was in a horrible condition, and toilets remained locked. What is the purpose of providing the facility? Commuters were relieving themselves in the open spaces in public view.
Many of the buildings and the compound walls have been defaced with posters and graffiti, many put up here by workers’ unions.
Facilities at the parking lot
The parking area outside the Vyasarpadi Jeeva Railway Station is in a neglected condition. Several abandoned two-wheelers were discarded both inside and outside the designated parking area. It looked like the railway authorities had not awarded the contract for the parking lot’s maintenance to any agency.
The parking lot and the pathway leading to the foot overbridge had water stagnation, because of which this space has transformed into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Private companies like Ather have made provisions to include a charging point for electric vehicles in this railway station, where it is unnecessary. Moreover, there were no display boards to indicate that such a facility was available behind the booking counters at the entry point of the railway station.
Food vending kiosk and water supply
While we noticed a vending kiosk on the platform and tried to make some enquiries with the workers, we were told they had set up the shop recently.
The water taps on the platform had run out of water supply, and the wash basins were dirty.
Security and CCTV surveillance
Lessons have not been learnt from past mistakes. Apart from the two CCTV cameras located at the entrance to the railway station, there were no cameras near the restrooms, the passage to the ramp, the foot overbridge, the lifts, or even the platform. Not a single RPF or GRP personnel in uniform could be seen anywhere inside or outside the railway station.
As we step out of the railway footbridge on the northern side, commuters are greeted by tipplers visiting the TASMAC shop located nearby. Perambur High Road North Side, especially near the road leading to the former BSNL and P&T quarters, is a shady location. The local administration or enforcement agencies haven’t cleared the illegal settlement of migrant workers and beggars along the footpath on both sides of the road.
As the station is adjacent to North Town, SPR, Radiance gated communities, and Housing Board colonies, it deserves high security and basic amenities to encourage more commuters to adopt public transport facilities over their private vehicles.
Construction of Ganeshapuram Flyover
The construction of the Ganeshapuram Flyover is underway. While the Stephenson Road Bridge has been opened to the public, the access routes to the Vyasarpadi Jeeva Station from both sides of the railway tracks are yet to be developed.
Recommended measures
- Make provisions for a lift and ramp on the platform and near the exit on the northern side. Considering the needs of senior citizens, children, and the differently-abled, railway authorities must provide all the basic infrastructure wherever necessary, including proper railings.
- Expedite the construction of the Ganeshpuram Flyover and redevelop access routes to the station on both sides of the railway tracks.
- Install CCTV cameras at important locations within the station.
- Provide LED streetlights in the localities around the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station to ensure safety of residents.
- Maintain cleanliness within the premises, with proper restroom facilities and water supply.
The purpose of conducting these audits is to encourage and motivate more people across our city and beyond to start engaging in civic activities. In a democratic country like ours, which is ridden with rampant corruption, people must start taking responsibility to show the mirror to the authorities.
By reporting all our findings through the media, we are empowering the people by giving them all the ammunition they need to hold those within the administration accountable. The core objective is to ensure sustainable infrastructure development, which will last at least 25 to 30 years.