Potholed roads, haphazard parking of vehicles on thoroughfares, water-logging, damaged storm-water drains and non-functional street lamps are some of the problems haunting residents of Kolathur. Sivananda Nagar Main Road and Thirumalai Nagar Main Road and its four cross streets remain inundated with knee-deep water.
These issues were discussed with Chennai Corporation officials and elected representatives, but all in vain. Members of Residents Welfare Association said that interior roads and streets never received attention by the local body. To name a few, Senthil Nagar Third Main Road, Ayyappa Nagar (first to fifth cross streets), Dayalu Nagar Main Road, Subramaniapuram Main Road, Dhanrajpuram, and Ambedkar Nagar are in bad shape. Water-logging is a perennial issue. After the recent shower, water remained stagnated for a few days.
Senthil Nagar residents said that storm water drains were not wide enough to take in a huge flow of rain water. “The overflowing drains posed severe health hazards,” said R. Shyamala, a resident of Kolthaur. Thiruvalluvar Nagar purported to be a low-level area remained inundated with sewage mixed with rain water.
Parking of vehicles on entrance of streets is another problem and it has not been sorted out yet by the Traffic Police, residents alleged. Residents of Sivananda Nagar and Thirumalai Nagar said that earthmovers, tipper lorries are being parked on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.
“Srinivasa Nagar First Main Road and Redhills Road could be found with vehicles parked in a haphazard manner,” says Lalithapriya, a college student from Senthil Nagar.
Despite the Traffic Police’ efforts to clear these vehicles, the problem continues, she added.
Chennai Corporation Officials said that they cleared waterlogged drains in Sivasakthi Nagar, Kadappa Road, Kumaran Nagar Extension, Vivekananda Nagar Main Road, GKM Colony, Thiruvalluvar Nagar and Sakthivel Nagar. They said that they will take remedial measures ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon.
In Kolathur, construction of 13.58 Km of storm-water drain has been completed under Jawarharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the officials added.
