The struggle of residents and shop-owners occupying the already congested Valluvarkottam High Road doesn’t seem to be easing. The stretch is dug up in various places, causing water stagnation every time it rains. One such spot is a space outside a Tasmac outlet, which has become an unofficial dumping yard.
Also, many use an open space near it as a urinal. There is a restaurant located right next door and a pharmacy is found on the opposite site.
There are many shops on that road and most of the owners complain that the problem is not new. “The initial problem was drainage overflow. It was attended to but in the process a part of the footpath was broken. Whenever it rains, water stagnates there for days. What makes the situation worse it that people start discarding waste there,” says P. Kumaravel, an electrician working in the area.
The situation worsens in the evening when revellers begin to line up outside the Tasmac outlet. People are often seen urinating at the spot. “Walking here becomes so difficult, especially when it rains. Since this is close to the Sterling road signal, there is a constant flow of traffic. Pedestrians get very little space to walk,” says Mahesh Kumar, a resident.
The spot has also become a convenient breeding spot for mosquitoes. This is a busy stretch and residents want the mess to be cleaned before the situation worsens.
