A long coastline and a dense industrial belt abutting the jurisdictional limits of the Cuddalore Corporation, while shaping the constituency’s economic character, have also left a trail of unmet grievances on the ground.

The coastline extending from the fishing villages of Nallavadu to Singarathoppu falls within the constituency, which includes Cuddalore Old Town, Kanganakuppam, and Kondur.

The constituency is set for a direct fight between former AIADMK Minister M.C. Sampath and A.S. Chandrasekaran of the Congress. The Naam Tamilar Katchi and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam are also in the fray.

Mr. Sampath won the seat in the 2011 and 2016 elections, while in 2021, DMK’s G. Iyappan defeated him by a margin of 5,151 votes. The DMK has won in eight of the 15 elections held since 1952.

Cuddalore residents had high hopes when the State government announced the upgrade of the municipality to a corporation in October 2021. Five years later, they are disappointed that little has changed in the coastal town.

The constituency faces several pressing civic challenges such as traffic congestion, gaps in solid waste management, lack of flood mitigation measures, and environmental pollution.

T. Arulselvan, coordinator of SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors (SACEM), an environmental watchdog, says, “Cuddalore lacks a proper landfill and untreated solid waste is dumped in several places. This threatens public health and environment.”

The Corporation requires robust waste segregation at source, with organic waste converted to compost locally. Similarly, the Gedilam River remains polluted due to the discharge of untreated effluents from sugar mills, which kills fish and contaminates nearby wells. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken, he said.

“Air pollution is a major issue in Cuddalore due to the presence of highly polluting industries at the periphery of the Corporation’s limits. Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations should be installed at the Collectorate, Silver Beach, and dense residential areas, with real-time public data dashboards,” he added.

“The fishing community definitely has a big role. We need better representation as some of our issues remain unresolved. For long, fisherfolk have been demanding a dedicated fishing harbour in Cuddalore. Though funds were allotted for a fish-landing facility and a small-scale fish vendors’ market in the previous AIADMK regime, the project did not take off after the DMK came to power,” says S. Gajendran, State secretary of the Tamil Nadu Meenavar Peravai.

He said though the construction of groynes at Thazhanguda to prevent coastal erosion had brought temporary relief, fishermen have been facing difficulties in navigating their boats through the sea mouth. About 70% of the employment opportunities at Cuddalore Port must be reserved for traditional fishing communities, he added.