In the past few years, there has been a marked change in people’s perceptions about places to invest in a home in Chennai. The main reasons for that have been the high prices in the older residential areas and the improved connectivity, or at least the promise of it, to far flung suburbs. Old timers recount the days when the city’s student elite went to study in Madras Christian College in Tambaram or were in the Indian Air Force. These were only two categories of people who went to Tambaram. But times have changed.
Today, Tambaram is a much sought after location with a number of housing options. The game changer has been the Information Technology (IT) industry as well as the large manufacturing base that Chennai has been home to for the past two decades; these two sectors have been attracting a large number of young professionals to Chennai for jobs. These people prefer stay closer to the work spot rather than commute long distances to work.
So where is Tambaram?
Tambaram, a suburb of Chennai, is located 27 km away and is part of Kanchipuram district. The Chennai- Trichy National Highway (NH45) or the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road runs through Tambaram. It is one of the busiest national highways in the south and covers almost 470 km. GST Road starts from Kathipara Junction in Guindy, Chennai, where five major roads in the city meet and goes right up to Theni in the south of Tamil Nadu. It connects Chennai and its southern suburbs to the airport. The major cities on this highway, besides Chennai, are Trichy and Dindigul.
Tambaram is the last stop on the Chennai Beach to Tambaram sector of the suburban railway network. There are also electric trains which go up to Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram. Almost 280 suburban electric trains operate daily on this sector, with about 1.5 lakh commuters using the station. In addition to the suburban trains, 25 long distance trains also pass through Tambaram. It is the third busiest station in Chennai after Central and Egmore.
The railway line also marks as the divider between East and West Tambaram.
So how does this impact housing sales?
One of the first things that most people look for, when they buy a new house is connectivity. They check to see if there is public transport, taxi service and distance to railway station and airport. On all these counts, Tambaram comes out a topper.
What about property prices?
The going rate for apartments in Tambaram stands at INR 4500 per square feet on average. Those who wish to invest in property in Tambaram now might have missed out on the lower prices which were prevailing some time ago. However, the prices are still affordable. Builders in Tambaram are also offering a number of options to the home buyers. So it is really worth checking out.
What about civic amenities such drainage and garbage collection?
The Tambaram Municipality has drawn up a number of plans to improve the civic amenities here. An underground sewage programme has been implemented in most parts of Tambaram. Simultaneously, concrete roads are also to be laid over it which will go a long way in resolving the water logging issues in the area.
A solid waste management programme called BINS has been initiated by the Municipality. This is an eco-friendly programme and has caught on with the local populace. The Municipality has substituted the open top bins, which are regularly in use, with the segregated ones which are also colour coded. The house owner’s cooperation is also called for to make this a success.
Besides, these initiatives, Namma toilets, bio-digesters and community kitchens have created a positive impact in slums.
Nina Varghese for IndiaProperty.com