Under the Madurai Smart City Mission, several projects were undertaken as part of the city’s urban transformation. While most have been completed and are in use, many face functional issues, and a few, though finished, remain unopened to the public. Years after their completion, several facilities show signs of neglect, with shopkeepers and locals flagging poor maintenance, even as the 2026 Assembly elections approach.
The Ministry of Urban Development launched the Smart Cities Mission in June 2015. Under this initiative, Madurai Corporation had listed 14 development projects worth ₹977.55 crore.
The Madurai Smart City Mission had placed a significant emphasis on heritage development, particularly in the area around the Meenakshi Amman Temple, one of the city’s major tourist attractions. However, the stretch is now grappling with several issues, including waterlogging, heavy traffic, inadequate parking, and poorly maintained public toilets.
Kannan, president of the East Avani Moola Street Shopkeepers’ Association, said the space earmarked at the old Central Market for parking had been of little use, as nearly half of the area had been leased out for shops. This has forced tourists to park their vehicles along the road, leading to traffic congestion in the area.
He also pointed out that several streetlights installed under the Smart City Mission function intermittently, leaving stretches poorly lit at night and raising safety concerns for pedestrians and shopkeepers.
“Several electric cables around East Avani Moola Street are improperly secured and hang low, posing a risk to the public, especially during heavy rain when water stagnates,” said Mr. Kannan.
He added that water stagnation remains a major issue in several areas around the temple, particularly on Thalavai Street. Although stormwater drains have been laid at a few locations, the problem continues to persist.
He also flagged sanitation concerns, noting that some free public toilets, especially at East Avani Moola Street, are closed early in the evening, restricting access for visitors. This, he said, forces people to use open spaces, aggravating environmental issues and raising public health concerns.
Mr. Kannan added that while several facilities have been created under the Madurai Smart City Mission, it is important for the Corporation to regularly monitor and maintain the infrastructure. He also expressed hope that the issues would be addressed before the 2026 Assembly elections.
V.P. Manikandan, an activist, said the Smart Cities Mission was a welcome initiative for Madurai, aimed at comprehensive urban development. However, he pointed out that several projects had remained incomplete for years, while some facilities, though constructed, are yet to be opened for public use.
He cited the multi-level car parking facility built under the Smart City Mission opposite the old Central Market, noting that although the structure, with parking facilities spread across three floors, has been completed, it remains unopened to the public, despite the facility having been constructed using public tax.
He added that with Madurai witnessing a rise in tourist footfall, traffic around the temple area has increased, and if the facility was opened, most of the vehicles currently parked along the roadside could be accommodated there, helping ease congestion.
Mr. Manikandan also said that the Vaigai riverfront park project, taken up under the heritage development component of the Smart City Mission, was yet to be completed despite having been initiated several years ago. If completed, he said, the facility would be of significant benefit to the public.
On the implementation of Smart City Mission projects, S. Baskaran, councillor of Corporation Ward 52, said that several heritage lamps installed in areas around the temple are not functioning. He also pointed out that circuit boards had been left exposed, making them vulnerable to water damage during the rainy season.
“We have already raised these issues with the authorities and sought repairs, but no action has been taken so far,” he said.
The unutilised Periyar bus stand shopping complex in Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
G. MOORTHY
Shopping complex at Periyar bus stand, built as part of the Smart City Project in Madurai, remains shut long after construction is another example of administrative delay and bureaucratic hurdles stalling key urban infrastructure in the city.
Though the shopkeepers who were promised space allocation immediately after the construction appealed to the district administration, corporation and even sought the intervention of Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, their struggle for a space in the complex continues to remain in limbo due to shifting administrative priorities.
A. Karuppandi, president of the Bharathiyar Shopping Complex and Bus Stand Integrated Traders Welfare Association, highlighted the deteriorating state of the million-rupee structure.
He lamented the mounting financial distress of the traders, many of whom are struggling to repay debts taken out for high advance rents while their livelihoods remain in an indefinite limbo.
He added that the traders had paid the rent for the shops in 2019, even when the building was under construction. But still, they could not take possession of the shops.
The prolonged closure has shattered the hopes of many, he added.
“While some traders managed to set up makeshift stalls elsewhere to survive, many others—unable to afford new spaces—have tragically passed away while waiting in vain for the complex to open.”
“Despite the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, in 2019, issuing directions to the Madurai Corporation to complete works within 18 months, the Corporation has not taken any steps in compliance,” alleged Mr. Karuppandi.
The traders even paid the increased rent with the fond hope that they could earn it once the shops were opened for business. But with no income source, they were struggling to repay loans they borrowed to pay the high rent.
More than 400 shop owners were awaiting the opening of the complex, which was built under Smart Cities mission, he said.
“Every time we broach the subject, the corporation officials give a stock reply that once the pending electrical works in the building are completed, the complex will be thrown open. But this does not seem to be true. We suspect that the government is not willing to give the shops to local traders,” he alleged.
But, this time, Madurai Corporation officials assured them that it would be opened by the end of this month, he noted.
A few years ago Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan had alleged that the Smart City Mission project at the Shopping Complex was riddled with corruption and lacked adequate amenities for the general public. He also demanded the DMK government to probe it.
AIADMK councillor and Opposition leader in the Corporation council, Solai M. Raja, criticised the continued delay in opening the shopping complex at the Periyar bus stand, stating that despite being completed with public funds after years of work, the facility remains unopened due to what he described as avoidable delays in providing electricity connections and completing internal works. He said these works were now expected to be completed within the week.