Garbage collected from households dumped by Lakkapuram panchayat at a land along the Karur Road in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M.
Nearly 18 months after the State government proposed the merger of four village panchayats with the Erode Corporation, the process remains pending as the required gazette notification has not been issued.According to Census 2011, the Corporation covers 109.52 sq. km and has a population of 4.98 lakh spread across 60 wards. In recent years, adjoining panchayats have witnessed rapid growth in population and housing, resulting in increased demand for civic infrastructure and services.On December 31, 2024, the government issued an order proposing the merger of Kadirampatti (population 3,837), Mettunasuvampalayam (17,240), 46 Pudur (16,054) and Lakkapuram (9,739) village panchayats with the Corporation. The proposal was aimed at facilitating planned urban development and improving civic amenities in these fast-growing areas.In particular, 46 Pudur and Lakkapuram have undergone rapid urbanisation and face challenges related to drinking water supply, solid waste management and infrastructure. The newly established bus stand at Solar and the integrated vegetable and grocery market, which is nearing completion, are located in Lakkapuram panchayat.The proposal has drawn mixed responses from residents. While some fear higher taxes and the loss of employment opportunities under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G Act, 2025), others support the move, citing inadequate civic services in the panchayats.Residents pointed to issues such as poor solid waste management, inadequate water supply, sanitation gaps and insufficient infrastructure. “A large number of residential layouts have come up over the years. However, the panchayat, which faces a shortage of staff, is unable to handle the increasing volume of waste, and dumps garbage on vacant lands along Karur Road and at Pudur,” said a resident of Lakkapuram.Another resident from Pudur village said the population had more than doubled and that only an urban local body could meet the growing civic requirements of the area. Residents have also sought improved conservancy services, scientific disposal of waste and better drainage facilities. Many believe that merger with the Corporation would help address these issues.The district Collector S. Kandasamy submitted a report to the government last year highlighting objections raised by a section of residents against the merger.Meanwhile, the Union government fixed December 31, 2025, as the deadline for freezing administrative boundaries ahead of the 2027 Census. However, the gazette notification required for the merger was not issued before the deadline. As administrative boundaries have been frozen from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, for the Census exercise, the merger process cannot be taken up until the freeze period ends.When contacted, Corporation Commissioner Arpit Jain told The Hindu that the merger could be effected only after completion of the Census exercise and issuance of the gazette notification. “Until the notification is issued, the four panchayats will continue to function as village panchayats,” he said. Published - June 10, 2026 07:05 pm IST
