In the interior stretches of eastern Chromepet, not just vehicles, but also bones of motorcyclists rattle. These stretches are ridden with potholes. Hasthinapuram Main Road, Nehru Nagar, Ramakrishna Street, Nehru Nagar, Sankar Lal Jain Street, Ramamurthi Street and Gajalakshmi Nagar are among the worst ones to navigate, as they have not been closed after being dug up for laying of pipelines for Chembarambakkam drinking water scheme.
A month ago, the pipes were laid. But the roads are yet to be re-laid.
“The roads are in such a bad condition for over a month now,” complains J. Ravichandran, a resident.
Cyclists and motorcyclists are the worst-affected as the battered surface makes smooth riding impossible.
Pedestrians suffer too. Children and senior citizens find it difficult to walk on the stony stretch. The stones in the potholes are so sharp that they could pierce into the skin beyond the soles of footwear.
The Pallavapuram Municipality officials have only gravelled Gajalakshmi Nagar Road and Mahadevan Street, Chromepet. “The roads in State Bank Colony also remain damaged due to pipelines-laying work. We have taken up the matter with the Municipality, but the problem is yet to be addressed,” says S. Gunasekaran, who works as a collection agent at an insurance firm.
When contacted, authorities said they are aware of the condition of the roads and have prepared a proposal for carrying out repairs. “Some of the works had already been approved and would be taken up for implementation, they added.
