Even moderate rains could wreak havoc on the roads at SIHS Colony near Singanallur Junction as they end up water-logged and slushy, making it difficult for motorists and pedestrians to travel on the route.
“Whenever I travel here, it hurts my back and I find it difficult to sleep,” said Prakash (name changed), who is an autorickshaw driver since 2007. He claimed that most of the drivers take the route via Neelikonampalayam to avoid these roads. “There are no proper lights in the underbridge,” Mr. Prakash said, adding that the motorists find it difficult to travel, particularly during rainy nights.
S. Sundarapandian, who has been running a grocery shop at Ward No. 59 for 12 years, said that the road situation has been this way for nearly seven years. “No proper action has been taken yet,” he said despite school students and office-goers frequently using the stretch in the mornings and evenings.
The Mahatma Gandhi Road that connects SIHS Colony with Irugur and AG Pudur is in a pitiable condition. A section of the stretch is with the Corporation and the rest with Irugur Panchayat.
A worker in a industrial unit in the area, Karthik said, “we thank our stars, if we commute safely and reach our workplace and home every day without getting hurt.” Potholes have become craters and are filled with rainwater leaving the motorists to luck while using the stretch.
An industrialist from the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the road conditions make it difficult for the factory workers to commute on a regular basis. “We have foreign and domestic visitors coming in,” he said. The industrialist noted that some portions of the area are under the Corporation and other under Irugur Town Panchayat, adding that no concrete action has been taken despite multiple representations.
When contacted, a Corporation official said that no particular complaints have been made regarding the situation. “Based on complaints, we will send our Engineering Wing staff and take necessary action for a permanent solution,” the official said, adding that a “temporary solution” could be found for the roads.
A panchayat official said that a proposal to lay roads has been prepared and the tenders will be invited in the next 15 days. “Once the proposal is approved, we will lay the roads within the panchayat limits,” the official said.
Residents urge the respective local bodies to at least fill gravel for the time being and then lay the road when monsoon exits by mid-December.
