Three limited use subways (LUS), constructed across three railway level crossings at Balakrishnapuram here by the Southern Railway in a record time, have become an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, owing to the inordinate delay in their inauguration and removal of encroachments on both sides by revenue and highways departments.
Now, the LUS across the Dindigul-Palani track is filled with water up to three feet. The two other subways across the Karur and Chennai tracks too have a considerable amount of water, posing a grave threat to the residents of the area. The panchayat and highways department have not taken any steps to drain the stagnant water from the LUS.
Even as Collector T.G. Vinay, who had expedited dengue prevention measures across the district, often urged officials to prioritise clearing stagnant water from drains and channels, the panchayat and highways department officials had done nothing to drain the water from these subways, said the local residents.
“Let them take their own time to open the LUS and overbridges. We are tired of explaining the struggle of school students, office-goers and farmers to the authorities. They do not even care for the health of the people. The Collector has fined several individuals for keeping water in open containers in houses. But why there is so much delay in draining the stagnant water from the LUS,” wondered S. Divakar, a resident of Balakrishnapuram.
If they opened the subway, they would maintain them regularly, he added.
The Southern Railway had constructed the three subways in March 2016. The LUS under the Karur-Dindigul railway track was completed within a week.
But it had not been thrown open for the public as the State government had not commenced its portion of work. Acquisition of land and removal of encroachment were not over. Removal of shops and houses, mostly on encroached land, and laying of new roads on both sides were still pending, the people said.
Residents of more than 50 villages up to Manakattur had been facing untold misery every day. Students had to travel at least two and a half kilometres to reach their schools that were just half a km away. Now, two-wheeler riders broke the barricade across the Palani track and were crossing the track during peak hours to go to Dindigul.
Inauguration of the LUS across the Palani track would reduce their struggle considerably. But, cleaning the subways was need of the hour, said S. Hariharan of Balakrishnapuram.
