There is not an inch of road in Kothari Nagar (Ward 58) in Coimbatore where a rider can enjoy a smooth ride. The same is true of roads in Vivekananda Nagar that is nearby on the west.
The residents say the condition of the roads that had been bad for quite a few years turned worse after the recent summer showers, as the Coimbatore Corporation had recently dug the roads to lay new drinking water pipeline under the 24x7 drinking water distribution improvement scheme.
The last time the Corporation laid roads in both Kothari Nagar and Vivekananda Nagar was more than 10 years ago after nearly completing the underground drainage work, said resident S. Venkateswaran.
Thereafter the Corporation did nothing and every time the residents asked for road, the only reply they got was to wait till it completed the underground drainage work.
After laying main line and house service connection pipelines in all the lanes and bylanes in both the areas that have around 400 houses, the Corporation was to connect the pipelines to the main sewer line on Trichy Road, as planned, to convey the sewage to the Ondipudur sewage treatment plant because it was yet to lay the main sewer line on Trichy Road, said the Corporation sources.
The other reason that the Corporation had abandoned the underground drainage work after completing 90% of the work was that the pipelines laid in Kothari Nagar and Vivekananda Nagar were at a lower level than the pipeline to be laid on Trichy Road and therefore conveying the sewage onto the main sewer line would be difficult, Mr. Venkateswaran said adding that this was the reason given to him by the Corporation officials who had supervised the work then.
Citing the incomplete underground drainage work to deny the residents good roads was not acceptable any more as even walking on the roads after rains had become difficult, rued C.N. Ananthanarayanan, a resident of an apartment in the area.
Pointing out that the localities had seen no development in the last five years, Mr. Ananthanarayanan said the Corporation should at least even the road surface if it could not re-lay the roads.
Ward Councillor M. Sumithra said she had highlighted the condition of the roads in the area to the East Zone chairperson, Mayor and officials as well. She had also told them that the civic body was short of funds should not be cited as an excuse anymore for not taking up road development projects and requested that at least repair works be carried out before the start of South West Monsoon .
