Neyveli Rotarians transform a slum
The residents of Ayyanar Street in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, had a reason to rejoice when their once dark and dismal street lit up, thanks to the installation of solar street lamps by the Rotary Club of Neyveli Lignite City, RID 2981. This narrow street, comprising three lanes and lined with 34 dilapidated mud huts, is home primarily to elderly couples, with just two families having school-going children attending the local government school.
This Street lies on the outskirts of Neyveli, a township better known for its lignite mining operations and the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). “About a decade ago, people living along the National Highway were relocated here after the road was widened by the Highways Department. Since then, the locality has been in utter neglect, lacking basic amenities like electricity, potable water, sanitation or proper roads,” said J Paulraj, president of RC Neyveli Lignite City.
The living conditions are grim. “There are no toilets or drinking water facilities. Residents rely on wastewater released from NLC. It’s so dark at night that two elderly men recently died due to snake bite,” he added. Repeated pleas to government authorities yielded no results.
Moved by the plight of the residents, the club launched a mission to transform the area. The first step was installing seven solar-powered street lights, each costing ₹15,000, across the locality. “Lighting up the area made a huge difference. Elders can now sit outside their homes and chat, while children are able to study under the lights.”
During the inauguration of the lighting project, PDG A Mani suggested providing individual solar kits to each household. The club embraced the idea and is now working to implement it. “Each kit, costing around ₹32,000, includes two lamps and a fan. We aim to provide kits to two households each month and have issued tokens to all families,” Paulraj explained.
The club then addressed the community’s water crisis by installing a 500-litre tank connected to an RO plant. “We’re treating wastewater from NLC to make it safe for drinking,” he said. In another impactful gesture, the club built a modest but hygienic shelter for a partially-blind elderly couple who had been living in appalling conditions. “Now they have a secure home with a designated living area and a toilet. It must have been sheer misery for them earlier,” he added.
In collaboration with Orange Vision Centre and Jothi Eye Care, the club also held an eye-screening camp. Orange Vision Centre is part of a global grant project of RID 3232 — Project Orange — launched in 2020–21 to set up hybrid vision care centres across Tamil Nadu. So far, 197 such centres have been established, including one in Neyveli. “The camp made a big difference. Almost all residents had vision issues, and were provided with spectacles. Cataract surgeries were performed, and two residents even received corneal transplants,” said club member Balaji Gurumurthy.
This is just the beginning. “We plan to work with the municipal corporation to bring essential services like electricity and sanitation to this neglected area,” said Paulraj.
