Every time a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus or a sand-laden lorry goes through the busy Gandhi Road near the Indian Air Force Station in Mittanamalli, Avadi, 38-year-old Sumit, a Bengali who settled in the city a decade ago, runs to cover the freshly made sweets at his shop with a thin plastic sheet to prevent dust from falling on it.
A few yards away, a staff at the Gurudwara quickly pulls down a cloth screen at the entrance to avoid the dust from enveloping the prayer hall. Further down, women such as 52-year-old Devikala waiting to collect their rations at a Public Distribution Service outlet, cover their faces with their saris.
Sumit, Devikala, the Gurudwara staff and many residents in Mittanamalli might differ in their culture, customs and lifestyles but they have one common complaint: the condition of the Gandhi Road, considered to be hub for multi-cultural cultural congregation. Punjabis, Bengalis, Tamils, Telugus, Malayalis and Kannadigas are among the people that can be seen thronging the street to buy vegetables.
“Gandhi Road is a mini-India where people from different communities can be seen, but it is poorly maintained by the Avadi Municipality,” said K. Santosh, a resident.
Dotted with nearly a dozen hardware shops on both sides, the half-a-kilometre-long Gandhi Road is a crucial link for nearly 30,000 residents of Mittanamalli to reach the nearest railway station (Siding stop) and bus stand. Both the transport facilities are located around 100 metres from Gandhi Road.
As a result, every day hundreds of schoolchildren, office goers and traders use the stretch.
However, it has remained pothole-ridden for decades.
The condition of the stretch turned worse a few years ago after the municipality dug it to lay storm water drain and manholes as part of its Underground drainage scheme.
After various protests by residents and local traders, councillor (ward no: 1) S. Geetha, got the stretch levelled with construction debris.
“We will allocate adequate funds to lay the stretch with bitumen soon,” said S.M. Naser, chairman, Avadi Municipality.
