Although showers were welcome for the residents of the city to get some relief from the heat waves, it has brought with it a few problems too. Stagnant water has resulted in roads developing potholes in every major residential area.
Most affected is the junction area where a large number of heavy vehicles pass through, causing the road to break up. The tri-junction near the Kamaraj statue and the Racquet Court lane both near the bus stand, the main roads in Ponnagar, the low-lying areas in New Selva Nagar and the Gorimedu area are the worst hit.
The diversion of heavy vehicles and four-wheelers through the Racquet Court lane following the launch of work on the construction of the bridge on the Tiruchi–Dindigul Road has resulted in several potholes on this stretch.
The problem is acute at Ponnagar where construction activity by a number of promoters and builders has been brisk. Most of them are in the final phase of completion and, obviously, the buildings are being linked with the city’s underground drainage system and drinking water pipeline stream. This has resulted in the digging of the road by the corporation authorities, taken up before the current spell of rain. Though these dug-up portions were filled with earth and stones, the diversion of traffic from the Tiruchi – Dindigul highway has resulted in more harm. The dug out areas had got widened in the II Main, III main, and the Fifth Main of the Ponnagar.
Residents feel that the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation should take immediately survey of the damaged roads and take steps for its immediate maintenance and patch up works.
V.P. Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, says that a majority of the roads in the city remained unaffected. However, a few places, particularly the Central Bus Stand, bore the brunt of sharp showers because of various reasons. He conceded that the diversion of traffic, because of the construction of new multilayer flyover at the junction area, had its impact on roads at Ponnagar.
The corporation will take up work on temporary restoration of the roads through patch works within three days. As for the central bus stand, he said a special plan had been devised providing pavement for the safety of the pedestrians and allotting exclusive space for the omni buses.
Multiple reasons were responsible for oft-repeated damage to the roads in and around Central Bus Stand and showers was one among them, Mr. Thandapani said.
In other parts of the city, the corporation was involved in providing water pipelines to a cumulative length of 386 km and the work warranted digging up of roads. All these roads would be properly maintained in course of time, he added.
A. Thomas, member of Deccan Consumer Association, complained that more than city roads, rural roads in the periphery had been badly affected. Tiruchi on every side was encircled by village roads and residents of these villages largely rely on the city for their daily routine. Equal attention should be paid for the peripheral roads too.
For instance, the roads leading to Manikandam, Valadi, and Melur should be given special attention.
Many vehicle owners and cab drivers say the vehicles break down on the bumpy roads resulting in heavy expenditure on repairs. It is the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses, which ply to the interior villages, which bear the brunt. These damaged roads affect the movement of senior citizens, the sick, women, and children to a large extent.
The government machinery should accord priority for relaying roads without losing time anymore, says R. Chandrasekar, a driver with a leading cab operator of Srirangam.
