Residents living behind Arumbakkam Metro and wanting to take the train have to endure a long walk as access to the station is a circuitous one. Those living in areas like Tamizhar Street, Loganathan Nagar, Padmanabha Nagar, Kamala Nehru Nagar and Dayaluammal Street have been demanding that a pedestrian walkway be built across the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal to allow them direct access to the station.
Advocate Sudha Ramalingam, who resides in Padmanabha Nagar, says it is particularly difficult when people are travelling to another city and want to reach Chennai Central through the Metro. “I see so many walking with their baggage for almost a kilometre to reach the station. Most of them cannot pay for an autorickshaw fare and then the Chennai Metro ticket as well,” she adds. It would help if there are share autorickshaws plying from these areas to the station too.
However, the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam Canal is narrow in many parts and has insufficient carrying capacity, thus constructing causeways across the waterway was impossible.
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While the Greater Chennai Corporation said the Public Works Department will have to carry out the work, an official of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said, “We only provide no objection certificate for the Highways Department or local bodies to build bridges across waterways meant as public approach.”
Bridges are built by the WRD only across structures with shutter arrangements used for the department purpose, the official added.