For residents of Abirami Nagar, Ambal Nagar, Janaki Layout, and neighbour areas north of the railway track in Avarampalayam, crossing over to the heart of the Avarampalayam locality is an arduous task.
The reason: the underpass that connects the two areas is inundated. Always.
Only the water level varies. For most part of the year, the water level is low.
And, during monsoon it is worse as the water level stands over a couple of feet.
It has been so for long, says R. Malliha, Councillor, Ward 40. Among the residents, school students suffer the most. They have to wade through the water in uniform.
The alternative route to Sathyamangalam Road is through Athipalayam Pirivu, an additional drive of three km.
It is not just 3 km that the residents have to cope with but also access to bus stop and market area.
The Bannari Mariamman Kovil Ground, which serves as the bus stop, sees 23 buses, and 13 share auto rickshaws make trips to various parts of the city. The residents make it to the bus stop with great difficulty, says a resident.
The Corporation did initiate efforts but they have not yielded the desired result. P. Rajkumar, Chairman, North Zone, says the civic body issued notice to the owner of the nearby farm for draining of excess water into the underpass.
He has diverted the water but the inundation continues.
Then the Corporation de-silted nearby canal to see if it can stop the inundation. But that too has not stopped. Now it has asked engineers to study how it can drain out the water.
He says that he will ask the Corporation to take efforts to talk to the railways as it is in-charge of the underpass.
Sources in the Corporation say that it appears to be space for flow of natural drain and not a road. They say that the civic body will study the issue and work in tandem with the railways to enable free flow of traffic and not water.
