Tambaram might have evolved into a municipal corporation five years ago, but its water network hasn’t kept up. In many parts, there is no supply, and where water is available, supply is hampered by a shortage of overhead tanks and patchy pipeline networks. This has left many neighbourhoods parched.

According to the 2011 census, the city municipal corporation serves a population of 7.23 lakh. More than 14 years later, stakeholders in the realty space estimate the population to have crossed 10 lakh. Next year, 19 surrounding village panchayats, including Agaramthen, Medavakkam, Kovilambakkam, Mudichur and Perumbakkam, will be added to the corporation as part of delimitation, doubling its area from 84.7 sq km to 172.34 sq km, pushing its population beyond 12 lakh — nearly one quarter the size of the metropolitan corporation.

Tambaram requires 125 million litres per day (MLD) to meet its daily needs across five zones, said a corporation official. However, it receives 76 MLD, leaving a shortage of nearly 50 MLD. On average, each zone faces a deficit of at least 10 MLD. This forces many localities to rely on unsafe and costly water supply through tankers.

Under the corporation, Chromepet and Pallavaram are the only zones with piped water supply. Among them, 25% of residential areas are yet to get piped water connections. Areas such as Selaiyur, Camp Road, Mudichur, Irumbuliyur, Anakaputhur and Thiruneermalai are mostly dependent on tankers.

A civic activist and a resident of one of the zones said, “The corporation supplies water only once in two or three days. Residents of gated communities who can afford to purchase tanker water are oblivious to scarcity. But it is a never-ending problem for those who can’t afford to buy water.”

A residents welfare association representative said, “After several years, the village panchayat will finally be merged with the corporation. However, the issue of inadequate supply must be addressed as our area is dependent on water tankers. The corporation should provide infrastructure for piped water supply before merging the panchayat.”

An official from the water authority said the desalination plant coming up in Perur could offer a solution. “The deadline for operations to begin is March 2027. Nearly 50% of the work on the project has been completed. The plant will treat 400 MLD of seawater every day and will supply drinking water to more than 22 lakh people.”

An additional 5 MLD will be drawn from the Palar River, and when the Perur desalination plant is completed, 150 MLD will be supplied to the corporation through the Ring Main pipeline from Perur via Sembakkam, Madambakkam and East Tambaram, the corporation official said.

In the past five years, no new reservoir was built in the corporation limits. These could have stored the water released from the desalination plants. Similarly, rainwater too gets mixed with sewage in stormwater drains. The corporation should have taken measures to mitigate these issues.

The city administration has allocated more than ?89 lakh to each of its 15 zones to repair potholes, according to officials. In November, the chairperson of the standing committee on works announced a ?15-crore initiative for road repair and patchwork, with tenders invited for hundreds of roadworks worth ?37 crore to be taken up after the northeast monsoon. Earlier in the year, the administration had planned to improve several hundred roads under its special fund for the upcoming financial period at a cost of ?92.74 crore. A resident from one locality said that several roads remained unpaved as work on the underground pipeline network was still underway. Another resident in a northern zone noted that a major road in the area was filled with potholes and claimed that some of them were being temporarily filled with loose stones without proper aggregate, creating safety risks for motorists. Tenders issued by the department responsible for major bus-route roads stated that the funds were for emergency patchwork and road improvements. They added that contractors must deploy machinery such as mechanical pavers, bobcats, mini-rollers and cold-milling machines in every zone to carry out repairs. Additionally, no firm may participate in the tender if any of its directors is a close relative of an employee or public representative within the city administration. When asked about earlier tenders, zonal authorities said they were being monitored, and that the new funds were intended to ensure that pothole repairs were seamless and free of bumps. Machinery for this purpose would be deployed soon. The tender also required contractors to deploy watchmen and place clear signboards at all necessary points to guide road users safely to alternative routes.

A tender has been floated to build a new 9.6 km boundary wall to take possession of land acquired for the runway expansion of Trichy airport. Around ?24 crore has been sanctioned for developing the precast wall, and construction is expected to begin by February.

According to airport sources, nearly 500 acres of land have been acquired—including defence land—except for about 30 acres still pending. The existing runway, which measures 8,136 feet, currently allows only narrow-body aircraft operations. With the land acquisition, the runway can be extended to 12,500 feet, enabling wide-body aircraft to operate comfortably.

Work on the boundary wall will first begin in areas where land is already available, ensuring no inconvenience to the public. Efforts are simultaneously underway to acquire the remaining portion of land.

The longer runway is expected to support additional international destinations and boost the airport’s cargo-handling capacity. The project is likely to be completed before the end of 2026.

The expansion involves land acquisition across three villages—Keelakurichi, Keela Kalkandarkottai, and Kottapattu. Two village roads may also be diverted as part of the project.

Setting aside a batch of appeals challenging the acquisition of 20.6 acres of land in 1975, the high court ordered a probe into the ?93.4-crore compensation paid to certain landowners without verification of title. A division bench passed the order on Friday on appeals moved by various government agencies.

The case concerns the acquisition of 20.6 acres in a city locality in 1975 for a housing scheme, which was later repurposed for market and transport-terminal projects. Awards were issued in 1983, and compensation was deposited in court because ownership of the land was disputed. Although some landowners contested the acquisition, the apex court upheld it in 1996 while directing that 1.5 acres be spared for their residential use. The remaining land has since been used for public infrastructure.

Despite this, new petitions were filed between 2005 and 2010 seeking reconveyance of the land, annulment of the original acquisition, and enhanced compensation under the 2013 land acquisition law. The petitioners argued that the acquisition had lapsed due to non-payment of compensation and failure to take possession.

Rejecting these arguments, the bench held that possession had been taken in 1983 and compensation had been deposited in court. Claims of lapse were deemed untenable and an abuse of legal process, especially since the apex court had already upheld the acquisition.

The bench expressed concern that ?93.4 crore had been paid to the petitioners through a compromise during a subsequent acquisition of the exempted 1.5-acre portion, noting that no title verification had been conducted. The court therefore directed authorities to initiate appropriate action, including criminal proceedings, if fraud or collusion is discovered.

The chairman said the institution’s mortgage loan portfolio crossed ?9 lakh crore last month and expressed confidence that momentum in the retail, agriculture, and MSME (RAM) segment will support overall credit growth of around 14% during the current fiscal year. The RAM segment, which constitutes about 67% of the total loan book, surpassed the ?25 lakh crore mark in September.

With improving economic conditions, the credit growth target for the current financial year has been revised upward from 12% to 14%. The chairman noted that MSME lending is growing at 17–18%, while agriculture and retail are expanding around 14%. He also highlighted strong growth in gold loans and projected double-digit growth for unsecured personal credit products.

Corporate lending, which had seen a period of slower activity, recorded 7.1% growth in the second quarter. Guidance for corporate credit now stands in the lower double-digit range, making the overall target of 12–14% credit expansion achievable.

The recent decision by the central bank to reduce the key policy rate by 25 basis points is expected to lower borrowing costs and stimulate demand for fresh credit. The benchmark rate was cut to 5.25%, maintaining a neutral stance and leaving scope for further reductions. The move followed a six-month pause and aims to support economic growth, which reached a six-quarter high of 8.2% in Q2 of FY26.

The chairman also indicated that the institution is unlikely to require equity infusion to sustain credit expansion while maintaining a capital adequacy ratio of 15% over the next 5–6 years. With current profitability levels, the institution may not need additional capital raising—particularly for core equity—within that period.

Work has begun to dismantle 12 extra-high-tension (EHT) towers at Panjapur along the Trichy–Madurai national highway to accelerate the ongoing construction of the IT and ITES office-space project in Trichy. To ensure safety during and after construction, underground cables will be installed for power transmission through the project site, eliminating the risks associated with overhead lines.

High-voltage cables of 110 kV and 66 kV currently pass through the Panjapur area, where the new facility is being developed jointly by the city administration and a state-owned partnership. Plans have been finalized to shift these cables to facilitate uninterrupted progress.

Meanwhile, construction has been advancing in portions of the site that are not affected by the existing power lines. A recent project review led to the decision to remove 12 EHT towers carrying 230 kV feeder lines from the Trichy substation to nearby substations in the region. Underground cables will be used as an alternative to cross the Trichy–Madurai highway, with approval for the work requested from the relevant authorities. The underground installation—covering 9 km—will use a trenchless method to avoid damaging the highway.

In place of the dismantled towers, 10 new EHT towers will be erected in locations along the highway that ensure overhead transmission routes do not interfere with construction activities. The overhead lines currently running across the project site have prevented the building from progressing to its planned six floors. Once the cables are shifted and the towers are removed, the pace of work will increase significantly. The project aims for commissioning by December 2026, with approximately 12% of the construction completed so far.

“Inconvenience today for a better tomorrow” — this bold tagline is painted across the pathway barricades. Better tomorrow? Perhaps. But the inconvenience today is painfully clear in the daily struggles of thousands of pedestrians who walk through these routes.

The passageways are narrow, poorly lit, uneven, foul-smelling, and unsafe even during the daytime. Many are barely a metre wide, shut in on both sides, and filled with blind turns that catch people off guard.

Though a large budget has been allocated for the ongoing transport expansion project, a portion of which was used to create these pedestrian corridors at dozens of locations, many stretches hardly reflect meaningful investment. Authorities describe these pathways as “temporary,” yet they have existed for nearly two years and are expected to remain for at least two more.

The assurance that these corridors will be removed only after the full completion of the project brings little comfort to daily users. “The idea of using this path for three more years—dealing with dark corners and unruly individuals—terrifies me,” said a nurse who walks through a stretch that even has a liquor outlet right at its entrance.

A visit to multiple locations revealed a range of issues: narrow lanes, blocked access for shops and clinics, blind curves, unpleasant smells, poor lighting, and a general sense of insecurity. In several places, local establishments have had to put up their own signs because the barricades cut off easy access.

When concerns were raised, senior project heads said each walkway had unique challenges that required site-specific solutions and that field teams would examine them. Officials also acknowledged that there is no dedicated manual for designing safe pedestrian infrastructure at construction zones.

Urban mobility experts recommend transparent or open-style barriers instead of opaque barricades, arguing that visibility alone can significantly increase the sense of safety, especially for women.

Boundary disputes are expected to be resolved more quickly in the coming months, as land-related processes such as patta updates and sub-division approvals become simpler. Encroachments will also be easier to detect as the state prepares to procure high-resolution satellite imagery to modernize and digitize land records.

The Directorate of Survey and Settlement (DOSS) has issued a request for proposal to create a high-resolution satellite imagery database covering an area of 1,30,000 sq km. This initiative is part of a broader plan to establish a modern, transparent land records management system that will support governance, infrastructure planning, and welfare programme implementation.

Once acquired, the satellite data will be integrated into the state’s geographical information system to support large-scale mapping, land surveying, and various governance applications. At present, only basic 2D data such as measurements and area details are available. With the new system, precise coordinates will be included, and satellite imagery will be overlaid on existing land records to improve accuracy. Even small variations in urban property boundaries can lead to disputes, making improved precision essential.

The directorate has already begun ground verification to ensure the accuracy of reference points. Out of 25,000 points, 18,000 have been completed so far. This effort will support better planning and advanced data visualization. The 30 cm resolution of the imagery will make mapping more detailed, improving the understanding of geographical features, land-use patterns, and infrastructure across the entire 1.3 lakh sq km area.

Stakeholders have suggested that such a major initiative should be tested on a smaller scale first. They recommend conducting a pilot in a small settlement to verify accuracy before implementing it statewide, especially since even minor differences in measurements can lead to disputes. They also emphasized the need for additional manpower to support the project. 

The High Court has permitted the State government to construct ponds for rainwater harvesting and establish an eco-park on the land recovered from a private club in a metropolitan area. The State government had cancelled the lease granted to the club for the land and initiated steps to implement a project on the reclaimed 118-acre site. The project includes developing an eco-park for public use and constructing four ponds for rainwater harvesting.

Opposing these initiatives and challenging the cancellation of the land lease, the club administration filed a case before the High Court. A single judge had earlier ordered that the present status of the land should be maintained. When the State government appealed against this interim order, a division bench observed that four ponds had already been constructed in the area as a flood mitigation measure. The bench therefore granted permission to establish additional ponds and develop the eco-park on the recovered land.

Referring to the damage caused by earlier floods in the city, the judges noted that such public welfare projects are essential. They also stated that the government’s plan would help maintain ecological balance and reduce air pollution, emphasizing that air pollution is a public health concern.

Highlighting the scarcity of land in metropolitan areas, the judges remarked that allowing private entities to use government land for personal benefit would undermine public trust. Accordingly, the division bench set aside the earlier interim order and issued directions allowing the projects to proceed.

Realtors want the state government to intervene and stop the planning authority from enforcing its grid-of-roads plan without a proper government order. In a letter to the chief secretary, they said some officials were applying the grid layout while processing planning and development applications.

They stated that the scheme was problematic because the proposed grid of roads cuts through already approved buildings and therefore needs to be completely reworked. According to them, the planning authority has been implementing the plan without statutory approval, putting several projects on hold and causing hardship to developers and the public.

Realtors added that many projects complying with the existing master plan are now facing additional requirements arising from the yet-to-be-notified grid framework, resulting in approvals being withheld for over a year. They also raised concerns that the proposed grid alignment passes through approved layouts and completed buildings. The letter further noted that certain gifted or existing roads had not been considered, leading to what they described as a technically flawed and impractical layout without formal authority. This, they said, has caused confusion since the grid plan has not been officially announced or made accessible.

A representative from the construction sector said that during road expansion, the government typically acquires land equally from both sides. They expressed willingness to provide the required land — which usually results in better FSI and wider roads — but stressed that this must be done through a proper government order.

The realtors requested the government to direct the planning authority to suspend enforcement of the grid plan until a detailed study is conducted, stakeholder consultations are completed, and an official government order or notification is issued. However, a housing department official said that officers have already been instructed not to enforce the grid plan until it is formally notified, adding that the notification will form part of the upcoming master plan and that the issue has already been addressed.

The stock has gained nearly 22% over the past three months, of which 10% came after the declaration of second-quarter numbers on October 18. The broader financial services index has gained over 9% in three months and 2% since October 18.

The housing finance company is likely to improve AUM growth to over 15% in FY27 from the expected 12% for the current fiscal year, supported by expansion in northern regions and a recovery in existing southern markets. It opened 32 new branches in the September quarter, taking the total number to 248. The lender is focused on strengthening its presence beyond the southern states where it has historically been strong.

In the September quarter, the proportion of branches and loan portfolio in the southern region fell to 54% and 71%, from 60% and 73% respectively a year ago. This helped the company maintain momentum in assets under management despite slower loan disbursement in Karnataka and Telangana. Outside key geographies, the lender continues to see strong growth in the eastern and northern states at over 30%, while Tamil Nadu and western states are showing growth of around 25%, according to a research report.

The company expects to raise the share of incremental disbursements in the northern region to 40% by March 2028, up from 32% at the end of September 2025. Disbursements rose 26% year-on-year and 7% sequentially to ?2,545 crore. The pace of growth may moderate at the company level, but this is expected to be temporary.

The gross non-performing asset (NPA) ratio remained below 1% in the September quarter due to lower provisioning and easing delinquencies. NPAs in the salaried portfolio fell sharply from ?627 million to ?372 million, reflecting stronger repayment trends and improving asset quality, according to another research note. Gross NPAs are expected to stay within the 0.9–1% range in the near term.

The net interest margin (NIM) expanded to 4% in the September quarter from 3.6% a year earlier amid softening borrowing costs. Analysts expect NIM to remain around 4% for FY26. Earnings estimates for FY26 have been revised upward by around 5% to account for higher NIMs and lower credit costs. Advances and net profit are projected to grow at a CAGR of around 13% over FY25–28, with return on assets expected to remain above 2.2%. The stock ended 0.6% lower at ?886.4 on Thursday.