A raft of roads in the added areas of Greater Chennai Corporation exudes a sense of a job half done. For, they have been denied blacktopping; with a layer of gravel, these stretches are hardly conducive for comfortable motoring.
The magnitude of the problem is huge — according to sources, around 1,000 roads in various parts of the added areas wait to be black-topped.
This situation has nothing to do with the model code of conduct for work on these roads began around three months ago.
However, according to residents, there are cases of contractors displaying needless hesitation in completing road projects, fearing trouble on account of the model code of conduct — it does not matter to them that these projects were started much before model code came into effect.
According to elected representatives, though additional funds have been allotted for execution of emergency works to undo the damage caused by the floods, residents have to put up with damaged or unpaved roads due to contractors’ negligence.
In some areas, the elected representatives said, cadres of political parties were not allowing completion of the work, citing the model code of conduct.
A senior official of Chennai Corporation said the civic body was unable to re-lay the interior streets in many added areas due to a delay in issuance of no-objection certificates by Chennai Metrowater despite the fact that it had completed the work on laying drinking water and sewerage pipelines.
Anna Salai Main Road in Ambattur is a case in point. Chennai Metrowater’s project to lay a water pipeline on the stretch is progressing at a snail’s pace.
People living at K.K.R. Nagar, Madhavaram, are struggling without proper roads, even though Metrowater completed pipeline-laying work there more than a year ago.
Veeraraghavan, a resident of K.K.R. Nagar First Street, said that except for small repairs on some stretches, no major road work had been carried out in the locality.
J. Gopalakrishnan, a resident of Venkataraman Nagar, Korattur, said that while cement concrete roads had been laid in some localities, residents of 61 to 64 streets in Korattur had to put up with unpaved stretches. Many of these stretches remained unpaved due to development work.
As a result of this, there is dust pollution and motorists were at greater risk for accidents.
Residents of Ambattur are dealing with dust as many roads there, including Annie Besant Street and Jagadambal Street in Vijayalakshmipuram, Athipet, Karukku and Korattur, are waiting to be paved.
S. Pattabiraman, a resident of Ambattur, said while some of the streets were blacktopped, some road work had been left unfinished, causing much hardship to residents. On a few roads like Prakasamgaru Street, only half of the road has been paved.
Residents complained that it was difficult for them to negotiate such stretches, particularly during night hours.
In Porur too, work to lay some roads like Balaraman Street, Kalamegam Street and Anbu Nagar has been left unfinished.
| 1 | Over 1,000 interior roads in the added areas have not been relaid. |
| 2 | Many of these roads have not been blacktopped due to the delay in laying sewerage and drinking water pipelines. |
| 3 | Most of these roads fall under the added areas, including Madhavaram, Manali, Ambattur, Porur, Madipakkam, Sholinganallur and Alandur. |
| 4 | In certain areas, Corporation officials have been told by cadre of various political parties not to undertake roadworks. |
| 5 | The Model Code of Conduct that is in place by the upcoming Assembly election is also said to be the reason for officials no completing the projects. |
