Pallavaram

 

Pallavaram is known for its bustling residential colonies, second only to the cantonments here, the army quarters. The military cantonments hold significance in this locality because they date back to the time of the Mughal Empire and the British East India Company. But Pallavaram’s history doesn’t start there. British archaeologists have discovered artifacts from the Stone Age - currently displayed at the Egmore Museum.

 

This locality is truly a historic wonder and has great landscapes. The Pallavaram Forest and Pallavaram Hills rests just above the residential colonies. The greenery surrounding the locality can be seen from the Chennai International Airport, when looking across to the other side of the GST Road (Grand Southern Trunk Road).

 

Residents who live here are mainly those who work in one of the IT/ITeS Corridors in South Chennai, GST Road, or OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road). Pallavaram is extremely close to these IT hubs, making it one of the prime choices to live in. Besides, the airport is just within walking distance.

 

Pallavaram has a good number of prestigious schools, such as St. Theresa Girls Higher Secondary School, Vel’s Vidhyashram School, and Cantonment High School, among others. This abundance of school choices make living in Pallavaram an attractive option for families. In addition, there are plenty of playgrounds for children in the locality.

 

The locality is also known for its massive vegetable market, Pallavaram Market, which has been operating for more than 75 years and sell cheap goods. The locality also hosts a famous fish market.

 

Key Projects in Pallavaram : 

SS Anjana

Rajparis Ram Nivas

 

Connectivity and Transit Points

 

Pallavaram is situated on the GST Road (Grand Southern Trunk Road). The 200 Feet Road forms its southern border, which means immediate access to the IT/ITeS Corridor on GST Road. And a drive down the 200 Feet Road will help one reach the IT/ITeS Corridor on the OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road). One can find ample state government and private buses operating within and beyond this locality.

 

The main bus stop is Pallavaram Junction Bus Stand on GST Road, just 3 kilometers from Chennai International Airport. The buses from here run northwards, looping around the Kathipara Junction to take commuters to any major location in Chennai, including T Nagar, Egmore, Central, Koyambedu and Adyar.

 

The Pallavaram Railway Station is an important transit point for the residents of this locality. It has four platforms and caters to thousands of passengers everyday.

 

Auto-rickshaws and cabs can be hired at Pallavaram to travel to other localities, but it isn’t a preferred mode of transport for everyday travel.

 

Major Landmarks

 

●       Chennai International Airport

●       Cantonment Pallavaram

●       Pallavaram Junction

●       Pallavaram Railway Station

●       Central Ground Water Board

●       Pallavaram Forest

 

 

Factors for Growth in the Past

 

Pallavaram has been a growing locality since the very early days. But setting up of army camps by the Mughal Empire and British East India Company was key to the locality’s development. Later, in the 18th century, the British built electrical railway lines in the locality, which ran towards Chennai Beach. This was a key infrastructure development in Pallavaram’s past.

 

Pallavaram witnessed major growth with the construction of the Chennai International Airport.The IT/ITeS corridors on GST Road and OMR then came up in the locality. With these corridors, Pallavaram became a key residential locality, situated right between them.

 

Better roads have been built since then, and transportation infrastructure has improved as well, leading to overall growth of an already well-developed locality.

 

Residential Market Analysis

 

As Pallavaram caters largely to IT professionals, there are more multi-storey apartments for purchase and rent than anything else. Yet, Pallavaram does have individual houses and plot layouts. The overall real estate prices have experienced subtle high and low, but for most part the prices are rising.

 

Buying an apartment in Pallavaram will cost somewhere between Rs 4,800-5,500 per sq. ft., depending on the neighborhood and how luxurious the apartment is. The rental rates for apartments are around Rs 11-13 per sq. ft. Typically, one would have to pay Rs 7,000-10,000 per month for a 2BHK apartment, but the luxury apartments would cost more, stretching from Rs 14,000- 20,000 per month.

 

Individual houses in Pallavaram can be bought at Rs 5,450-7,500 per sq. ft. and plot layouts for Rs 1200-1950 per sq. ft.

 

Major Challenges

 

Underground sewage chargers have spiked up to Rs 150 from the usual Rs 60, by the municipality. In addition, the underwater sewage pipelines in Pallavaram have been identified as the major reason for why nearby lakes have become polluted, especially the water bodies in Kovilambakkam.

 

Further, some construction work has been stalled as builders are not allowed to build over ancient monuments and archaeological sites protected by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). The residents have protested against the preservation of these sites for the betterment of the current and future generations’ livelihood. In response to the public plea, the Madras High Court has permitted the authorities to receive applications for construction and renovation of buildings in two of the survey areas.

 

Factors for Growth in the Future

 

To decongest the Grand Southern Trunk Road at Pallavaram, the officials at the State Highways Department have proposed the construction of a three-lane one-way flyover, stretching 1.5 kilometers in the direction of Tambaram to Guindy. This flyover will have a footpath running along it, and will be supplemented with two service roads below. This flyover will certainly benefit the locality.