V.O. Chidambaranar Port, fishing harbour, salt pans, industries and power plants together define Thoothukudi Assembly Constituency, popularly known as the Pearl City.

The constituency, which has alternated between DMK and AIADMK since 1967, has witnessed notable upgradation of civic amenities in the past few years including drinking water, multi-speciality hospital and storm water drains

However, some of the major issues, including traffic congestion, lack of toilet facilities at salt pans, indiscriminate dumping of waste into Puckle Canal and water stagnation in low-lying areas during monsoon, are some persisting issues.

The constituency houses a significant number of salt pans, employing hundreds of labourers. However, a higher proportion of labourers do not use safety gears, which include shoes and glasses, while working in the salt pans. Another major issue faced by the labourers, especially women, is the absence of toilets at their workplace.

Lakshmi (name changed), a worker from a salt pan on Beach Road, said: “Toilet facilities at the salt pans are one of our major demands. Why has no MLA taken serious efforts to address the issue,” she said.

Speaking on safety gears, she said most of the workers were not accustomed to using such equipment, but stricter enforcement and regular inspection could bring about a change.

Ms. Lakshmi noted that the relief amount being provided by the government during off-season must be increased, and measures must be taken to construct toilets at every salt pan.

A resident of St. Mary’s Colony highlighted the poor waste collection system in coastal areas of the constituency. “Most of the coastal areas of the constituency fall under Thoothukudi Corporation. But the conservancy workers do not collect waste from these houses, as they do in other parts of the city.”

This prompted residents to dump their waste on shoreline and in places such as Therespuram and Puckle canal, one of the major storm water drains of Thoothukudi Corporation.

Thoothukudi Corporation has launched a project recently to widen Puckle canal to increase its capacity to carry rainwater during monsoon. The Corporation has also been urging the people to not dump waste into the canal.

Another major issue faced by residents is severe traffic congestion, especially at places such as VVD Signal and Fourth Gate. Heavy gridlock persisting at VVD signal has led the residents to demand the implementation of the decade-old flyover project. The project, which was announced during the 2011 AIADMK tenure, is yet to take off due to continuous legal battles.

With growing industrial expansion and population explosion in Thoothukudi, smooth vehicular movement has become an essential requirement for its residents.

P. Geetha Jeevan of DMK, S.T. Chellapandian of AIADMK, Srinath of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and Jacob Devadoss Abisheak of Naam Tamilar Katchi are in the fray. Although projected as a four-cornered contest, it is widely seen as a direct fight between AIADMK and DMK.

Mr. Chellapandian told The Hindu that a majority of the projects inaugurated during the current DMK tenure in Thoothukudi were initiated by the AIADMK government. Effective measures would be taken to address the needs of salt pan workers and to improve infrastructure in Thoothukudi city.

Ms. Geetha Jeevan in a conversation with The Hindu outlined proposed plans for the constituency, which included the construction of a rail over bridge at Fourth Gate to ease traffic congestion. Water stagnation in low-lying areas such as wards 15,16,17 and 18 of Thoothukudi Corporation was a huge concern among residents, which would be completely addressed, she said