The first thought that struck Malathy Shankar when she saw the sky turning inky-dark on Monday morning was to advise her son not to cycle down VC Garden First street, while getting to school.
Even after a light shower, this narrow road gets considerably slushy. This stretch is used by hundreds of students, parents and general public to get to P. S. Senior Secondary School and other areas.
“Students who cycle to school and mothers who drop their children by two-wheelers, taking this stretch, are the most affected. When this road gets slushy, it’s very hard to maintain control over the vehicle while balancing children who are riding pillion. I have seen students lose their slippers in the slush and residents helping people whose scooters got stuck in it,” says Malathy Shankar, a mother of two sons who cycle to school.
VC Garden First street has many commercial establishments, a temple at one end and many residential buildings. As this is the shortest route for residents of R.A. Puram and Mandaveli to reach Mylapore, it witnesses heavy vehicular traffic.
The tar on the surface of the road has come off, exposing the dusty ground underneath. Due to ongoing construction work, blue-metal stones are strewn all over.
Rajaram, a resident of R.K. Nagar First Cross Street, says there is a mad rush to reach the school premises before the first bell at 8.20 a.m. and parents who drop their children prefer to take the shorter route through V.C. Garden Street.
The management of P.S. Senior and Higher Secondary School has made new arrangements for parents to drop and pick their children at the entrance on R.K. Mutt road via the school ground. This was done partially to ease the traffic congestion in Alamelumangapuram and also to help parents take the V.C. Garden Street route.
According to residents, this street has been neglected by the Corporation. Over the last two years, the stretch has never sported an even surface.
“Viswanathan from MRWA and I from TAKSRA have been talking to officials to make arrangements to level this street. As the local ward engineers keep getting transferred to other wards, they are unable to solve the issue. Even after the Metrowater finished work, Corporation has not laid a fresh coat of tar,” says K. L. Bala, member of TAKSRA.
