The Khandal Main Road, that was dug up for underground drainage pipes to be laid more than six months ago, has turned into a great inconvenience for the public and a safety hazard for motorists.
The 2-km-long stretch was dug up for UGD works to be completed, but the work itself has crawled to a snail’s pace, and the area residents have voiced their displeasure at the pace of the work and also the condition of the road.
N.V. Ibrahim, a Khandal resident and a small business owner in the area, said that dust pollution was extremely high because of the dug up roads, and people have to walk the entire stretch of road to catch a bus. Moreover, the UGD pipes left by the side of the road lead to congestion, and also pose a safety risk for motorists.
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Due to the work, parking space by the side of the road for vehicles is also almost non-existent, creating more bottlenecks along the narrow road.
“The entire stretch is filled with huge potholes, and the road is very unsafe for motorcyclists at night,” added A Ravi, the former DMK councillor of ward number 23. “The municipality is completely unresponsive to our demands to get the roads relaid,” Mr. Ravi added.
Residents also said that the bad roads were hindering the passage of funeral hearses to the cemetery in Khandal.
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When contacted, a top official from the Udhagamandalam Municipality said that the UGD work would take at least another 45 days to finish, after which the roads would begin to be laid.