Chromepet was once a sleepy town where even finding a good road would be a hard task. But now, the area, cut across by the busiest corridor in the State – the GST Road — has become a happening place, with flyovers, commercial establishments and big textile and jewellery showrooms dominating the landscape.
V. Santhanam, a resident of Chromepet for the past 50 years, has closely observed the various civic development activities that have been carried out over the years. He said proactiveness on the part of members of residents’ welfare associations and initiatives of various government departments had helped in transforming the locality. “Today, the locality is almost self-sufficient on various civic fronts, including good roads, water supply and a number of bridges for speedy movement of vehicles. It shines in all civic amenities, and is on a par with the localities of the Greater Chennai Corporation,” he added.
Civic improvements and well-networked public transport facilities in the form of buses and suburban trains have helped the locality get well-recognised schools and a number of prominent textile and jewellery showrooms. The only thing Mr. Santhanam regrets is the lost opportunity for residents of Chromepet, Pallavaram and Tambaram to make their areas a part of the Chennai Corporation, which was expanded in 2014. Doing so would complete Chromepet’s evolution over the decades, he said.
