Residents of Ramalinga Nagar and localities in the surroundings struggle to travel to and from their homes as the streets dug up by the civic body to relay underground drainage system lines last year are yet to be closed properly. The width of what is left of the road is insufficient for vehicles to ride on, residents said.
The Ramalinga Nagar First Main Road houses two hospitals, a few apartment complexes and even a gated community. Residents of all these houses and patients visiting the hospitals struggle to negotiate these uneven roads. “This road used to be well-laid and people travelling to Kuzhumayi Amman Temple, and further would use this route as a shortcut instead of taking the road along the Uyyakondan canal. However, in the last year, the rough roads have wreaked havoc,” said M. Muthu, a resident.
The residents are forced to park their vehicles elsewhere and walk to their destination. “It has become a huge problem. We have raised complaints with whoever comes to conduct repair work and have even approached authorities at the zonal office. Nobody seems to pay heed,” Mr. Muthu said.
A few days ago, a truck carrying a load of paint buckets got stuck on the road. The incident occurred at 7 a.m. and even by 8 p.m., it was not removed. “No vehicles, not even two-wheelers, are able to travel on that road the entire day. What would have happened had there been a medical emergency in even one of the houses and an ambulance had to rush to take them to the hospital?” another resident asked.
Even a slight downpour makes matters worse as the entire street becomes one big swamp. “When rainwater fills up this area, we do not know where there is a ditch and several two-wheelers and pedestrians slip and fall down. This road has a natural slope and water does not stagnate usually; the sorry state has prevailed over the last year,” they said.
The civic body, however, maintains that the work is yet to be completed and that the road will be relaid as soon as it is done.
