There was not much activity along the Uyyakondan Canal Road from a point near the Tiruchi Court complex to Allidurai until about 10 years ago. Except for farmers, who had agricultural lands, not many used the road. In fact, it was just a bund along the canal that was being used by the Public Works Department (PWD) authorities to look after the maintenance of the canal.
But, rapid urbanisation and setting up of a school along the road has altered the landscape to a great extent. It has become a busy road particularly during peak hours with cars and bikes transporting school children in large numbers.
Farmers and residents of several villages also use the road. However, absence of basic amenities, in particular street lights, has posed inconvenience to them during night time. The length of the road is about 5 km from Court to Allithurai.
There are a few street lights up to the Kamala Niketan Montessori School. But, the stretch from the school up to Allithurai does not have street lights, making it tough for road users to drive or walk in the night.
Though not many villages are located along the Uyyakondam canal road, residents of several villages including Sozhanganallur, Nachikurichi, Kallankadu, Uyyakondan Thirumalai, Pratiyur and others use the road as short cut to reach Karumandapam, Collector Office Road and Tiruchi-Dindigul road.
The road is also used by devotees to visit Kuzhumayi Amman Temple.
They complain that in spite of repeated requests, the authorities have failed to install street lights along the Uyyakondan canal road for long.
“The road is busy not only in day time but also during the night hours. In the absence of street lights, we find it extremely difficult to travel on the road in the night,” says P. Kalyanasundaram of Uyyakondanmalai, who frequently uses the road to carry out farm operations on his land near Kuzhumayi Amman temple. He said several incidents of chain snatching was reported in the past in the area.
Though regular users have brought this to the attention of the Tiruchi Corporation, which has its limit up to Kuzhumayi temple, and also to the Nachikurichi panchayat to provide street lights nothing has been done so far.
