The CPI(M) on Wednesday staged a road roko on Meenambalpuram - Kulamangalam Road flagging the persistent issue of non-motorable and slushy roads in wards 24 and 25 of Madurai Corporation.
S. Ganesan, CPI(M) north committee member, said that repeated digging of roads to lay underground drainage pipes and drinking water pipelines had led to commuters having a hard time navigating through the bumpy and muddy roads.
“Many people, including Councillors and the elderly, have suffered a fall on Sellur-Kulamangalam Main Road. The situation is no different in Officer’s Town where the potholed roads have turned the area into an accident-prone one. The bad roads pose a great threat to school children and the situation worsens even with the short spell of rain,” he rued.
Their demands included the authorities to look into the issue of sewage mixing with drinking water in ward 24 as well as overflowing sewage on Sathyamoorthy Main Road. “It is pathetic that the 1st and 2nd street in V.O.C. Nagar has not had roads for the past 30 years,” said Mr. Ganesan.
Committee’s secretary A. Balu said the demands were neglected even after repeated petitions submitted to the Mayor and the Corporation Commissioner. He noted that after their protest was announced, officials were vigilant to take up patch work on the stretch between Sellur to Meenambalpuram. They demanded at least temporary solutions to the bad roads at the earliest.
Over 20 cadre were detained by the police for causing traffic disruption.