MADURAI: Tamil Nadu govt has approved the expansion of Madurai corporation, increasing its size from 100 wards to 120. In all, 16 village panchayats and one town panchayat are being merged with the corporation, marking a significant step in the city’s urban development.
The areas to be merged are Karuppayoorani, Othakadai, Narasingam, Kathakinaru, Arumbanur (partly), Kodikulam (partly), Chettikulam, Koilpappakudi, Alathur, Pechikulam, Viraganoor, Nagamalai Pudukottai, Karadipatti, Yerkudi, Achampathu, Thuvariman and Perungudi. Paravai, a town panchayat, will also be brought under corporation’s jurisdiction.
The expansion will increase Madurai corporation’s area from 147.99 square kilometres to 237.99 square kilometres. The population is correspondingly expected to grow from 18.5 lakh to nearly 20 lakh.
The existing five zones of the corporation will now be reorganized into six to streamline governance and service delivery. The delimitation process, which defines boundaries of the new wards, will be finalized before the rural local body elections, following the expiry of the current term of rural local bodies on January 5.
A senior district administration official said Othakadai and Narasingam’s inclusion was influenced by the IT park being developed along Melur Main Road, areas which have witnessed partial urbanization, with increasing residential development.
Perungudi, near Madurai airport, has also been included in corporation limits. Due to the rising demand for residential plots in Chettikulam, spurred by Natham elevated corridor, it has also been added.
Growing urban population in Madurai East and West has necessitated inclusion of other areas. Achampathu, Yerkudi, Nagamalai Pudukottai, and Thuvariman, situated near Madurai Kamaraj University and the existing IT park in Vadapalanji, are among the regions expected to benefit from better civic amenities.
A senior corporation official said infrastructure development in the newly added areas would be prioritized. “The municipal administration will work on improving solid waste management, providing potable water, installing street lighting, and widening roads to meet the needs of the expanding population,” the official said.
The ambitious move is expected to boost Madurai’s growth, catering to the demands of its burgeoning population while improving the quality of civic facilities across the city, added the official.
