Even as the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has taken up a pilot project to spruce up the open space beneath the Thennur road bridge in the city, the stretch continues to be littered indiscriminately.
In December, the civic body started building concrete parapet on two sides of the open space under the Thennur bridge with the intention of raising a small garden at the space. Although the parapet wall was built between the Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Vidyalaya and the level-crossing at Thennur, the work is yet to be completed towards the Thennur high road side.
The initiative was mainly intended to beautify the area and prevent encroachments. But the stretch near the Hindi Prachar Sabha continues to be used as a garbage dumping area by some people. “It is sickening to find garbage dumped beneath the bridge, with flies all around. The spot is located in the midst of a residential area and a school zone. The authorities should make the area a litter-free zone,” said R. Gopal, a resident.
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The corporation’s initiative was intended to prevent encroachments by vendors and ensure better upkeep of the stretch. The construction of the parapet, officials said, would help prevent encroachments.
The work was taken up at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh. Officials had planned to raise a garden and provide lighting on a pilot basis.
However, over the past few days the work had been progressing at a slow pace. Sources in the civic body said some changes were being made in the work to provide space for parking of vehicles at a few places.
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Residents and traders complained that the construction of the parapet had constricted the narrow service lanes and motorists were left with very little space to manoeuvre especially when buses and heavy vehicles were diverted through the Sivaprakasam Salai during school hours.