Redhills

  Being one of the most densely populated areas of Tamil Nadu has definitely worked in favour of Red Hills. Once a small town lying to the north of Chennai, Red Hills has been incorporated within the city limits ever since its population outburst. The locality used to be situated on the foothills of a hilly region, which is how it got its name.   Currently it is a popular locality in Chennai and houses one of the major water reservoirs of the city. Red Hills Lake, also known as Puzhal Aeri or Puzhal Lake, is the reason why the people of this locality hardly face any water shortage problems. And despite being densely populated, Red Hills enjoys the advantage of being removed from the daily bustle of city life, and still being well connected to it.   The social infrastructure of this locality is above average. There are a number of good schools, hospitals, and banks in the locality, in addition to shopping centres and malls. Schools like Alpha Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Children’s Paradise Matriculation Higher Secondary School; colleges like RMK College of Engineering; and hospitals like Vanaja Hospital and GMC Trust Hospital are few of the key establishments that are part of the growing social infrastructure in Red Hills.   Key Projects in Red Hills :  HS Aishwaryam   Connectivity and Transit Points   Red Hills is at a distance of 12 km from the city centre, and well connected by a number of MTC buses to such areas as Poonamallee, Adyar, Koyambedu, Broadway, Vandaloor, Ambathur, Mount Road, and Avadi. The major bus stop here, is the Red Hills Market Bus Stop. Besides buses, autos are a preferred mode of transport in this locality.   There are the two major railway stations in Red Hills, namely Chennai Central and Chennai Park, both of which are about 18 km from the Red Hills bus stop. Chennai Central is a major railway junction of this city, and trains to almost any part of the country can be boarded here. Chennai International Airport, on the other hand, is at a distance of 35 km from Red Hills.   Major Landmarks   ●     Red Hills Lake or Puzhal Aeri ●     Iyyappan Temple ●     CSI Church ●     Radha Movie Park ●     Nataraja Theatre   Factors for Growth in the Past   The prime location of the locality was a major growth factor for Red Hills in the past. On one hand, it enjoys serenity beside the banks of Puzhal Lake; and on the other hand, it’s easily accessible to the city centre. Both of these factors have acted to its advantage, and led to Red Hills being one of the preferred residential localities of Chennai.   The presence of Puzhal Lake also had home buyers gravitate to this locality. This huge water reservoir provides 600 MLD of water to the residents of Chennai. Living close to such a major water source of the city had the obvious advantage of almost no water shortage problems.   In addition, although Red Hills lies close to major localities like Anna Nagar, Ambattur, and Perumbur, the low sale price and rent rates has driven a number of home buyers and investors to buy property in Red Hills.   Residential and Commercial Market   Residential Market Trends   The residential market in Red Hills consists mostly of residential plots, followed by independent houses. However, several new builders have been launching a number of apartment projects in Red Hills.   The price trends in Red Hills have been fluctuating quite a bit. In the April-June quarter of 2014, the average price of the apartments were in the range of Rs 3,800-4,200 per sq. ft.   Commercial Market   Commercially, the property market in Red Hills consists mostly of warehouses and godowns, followed by commercial plots and lands. Generally, these warehouses and godowns are rented out at Rs 15-20 per sq. ft. and commercial plots sold for anywhere between Rs 1,000-2,500 per sq. ft.   Major Challenges   The contamination of water at Red Hills Lake is a cause of concern. Currently, this lake supplies water to a large part of the city. But due to untreated sewage disposal, the water is slowly getting contaminated. If things go unchecked, the risk of the water becoming toxic and undrinkable becomes real.   Certain colonies of Red Hills are experiencing some serious cases of sewage water overflow due to blockage of the drains. Despite repeated complaints to both the Villibakkam and the Anna Nagar municipal office, no steps have been taken to fix this problem as of now.   Other than the dumping of sewage into the lake, Red Hills is facing pavement encroachment issues, barely leaving any walking space for the pedestrians in large parts.   Factors for Growth in the Future   The upcoming Chennai Metro Rail (CMR) Phase-II project is going to have a strong impact on the development in Red Hills. The route for the Line-4 of the CMR is going to be passing through this locality, with a stop here as well.   Not just the metro rail; but the construction of the second phase of the ORR and the elevated 4-lane highway between Mudravoyal and Chennai Port is also expected to give a boost to the infrastructural growth of Red Hills.