Three main roads on which thousands of people traverse every day in Thanjavur city are in a state of utter neglect, prompting concerned citizens to call upon the city corporation to take immediate steps to mend them.
Nanjikkottai Road, Yagappa Nagar Main Road and Municipal Colony Main Road have numerous residential localities abutting them. They also form the arterial road to several feeder road stretches that have evolved into streets and colonies. Over the years, the three important roads have served to widen the city peripherals with the mushrooming of new housing tenements on the southern and western spheres of the city.
“There is a common trait discernible in the maintenance of the three roads. If potholes sprout in the middle of the road, sand gets accumulated on the margins. We have nowhere else to go. Not just riding or driving, even walking on the roads is dangerous these days, as seen from the numerous accidents,” said P. Subashini, a librarian residing at Municipal Colony.
It is quite a task to avoid the potholes that keep appearing and enlarging every day, said O. Kalaiarasi, a resident of Pookkara Street and a student of Class 10 a nearby private school.
“Nanjikkottai Road is a dark picture of wholesome neglect, and we don’t know why all politicians and administrators are ignoring the condition of this road. Let them travel once on this main road and find out for themselves how we suffer,” she said.
The Yagappa Nagar Main Road, running east to west, links two important stretches of roads running parallel from North to South in Pudukkottai Road and Nagapattinam Road. Over the years, it has only got more popular but the continued neglect has cost the road dear. It is scarred with potholes and sand shoals all through its course, resulting in a bumpy cross country ride for any road user. “Hope the City Corporation pays attention to the proper maintenance of the road,” he said.
When contacted, Corporation Commissioner Varadarajan said the civic body was intent on maintaining the city roads, but the recent spell of rains had aggravated the condition. efforts would shortly be taken to clear the roads of sand.
