On Brick Kiln Road, Purasawalkam, encroachments rule the road. Garbage, discarded furniture, damaged vehicles, footpath shops, food carts and haphazard parking have all contributed to very little space for vehicles. Residents of the area also complain that there is no space for pedestrians.
The road is also full of potholes, stagnant water pools, overflowing sewerage, and un-cleared garbage. Suman Agarwal, a resident said, “In the last four years, I have made many complaints to Chennai Corporation at 1913 and received acknowledgements by SMS. But there is not much improvement on the road. It appears that this road is controlled by a few who are politically influential and not by the Chennai Corporation or the Traffic police.”
Mr. Agarwal added the Corporation staff informed him that they have sought police help to remove the encroachments, but in fact the situation has not been changed in the last 2 years. The Corporation has not removed the unauthorised encroachments, he said.
“Almost everyday, one new shop is opened on the footpath and people who live in encroached spaces are converting their huts into godowns and supply points,” said Sharad Jalan, another resident.
Mukesh Gupta, another resident, said the pavement was being encroached upon by shopkeepers and others and there was no place to walk. Free flow of traffic is also affected on the stretch.
Residents feel that unless and until the civic body with active help and force from the police initiates a determined initiative to clean up the road, it will continue to remain in the condition it is in.
