After the last rain, the Coimbatore City Traffic Police along with the Coimbatore Corporation engaged lorries and deployed diesel pumps to suck out water stagnated on the Ukkadam-Athupalam stretch of the National Highways.
The police say they and the Corporation flushed out water to restore the road for use, but it did not help as the loose earth from the eastern bund of the Big Tank formed slush, making things difficult. The earth – when it is not raining – and slush – soon after rain – invade the road margins and thereby reduce the motorable space.
A traffic sergeant said that road users veer towards the median whenever water stagnated on or slush took over the road margins. This competition for whatever space was available led to congestion on the busy, narrow stretch that had a cascading effect at the Ukkadam Junction, Athupalam Junction, Palakkad Main Road and N.H. Road Junction.
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After the rain, the very loose earth when dry continued to pose problems for the two-wheeler riders in the form of dust. The police said that after the problem had increased in the recent past, they wrote to the Corporation to address the issue. The police had asked for strengthening the bund and erecting a wall.
They had also sought initiation of measures to prevent motorists from riding on the bund as that accentuated the fall of earth onto the road.
The first letter was in March this year. Following inaction, the police said they again wrote to the Corporation in October, ahead of the North East Monsoon. Prior to the second letter to the Corporation, the police also wrote to the National Highways for improving the damaged portions of the stretch of the road.
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The road numbered 209 connects Dindigul with Mysore and is maintained by the National Highways.
The police were to yet to hear a response from both the government organisations, the sources said.
Even as the police wait for action, the motorists eagerly look for a solution. The area councillor and a motorist K. Sadiq Ali said that he had suffered the dusty breeze while riding on the road. And, he had also seen many a motorist suffer. To mitigate the road users’ suffering, the Corporation should take steps to prevent the loose earth from sliding onto the road, he said.
The Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore, Siruthuli and a few other organisations had plans to strengthen the bund. They had submitted a proposal to the Corporation and awaited clearance, said R. Raveendran, honorary secretary, RAAC.
Sources in the Corporation said that the civic body would soon take steps to provide a solution.