Main roads in bad shape after rains in Tirunelveli

Despite appeals, no action has been taken, say traffic police

The unmotorable Ambasamudram Road at Melappalayam in Palayamkottai.— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

The northeast monsoon that became active over the district much to the jubilation of farmers made things miserable for the State highways authorities with a good number of important roads under their maintenance are in the worst shape.

Though the district is yet to experience bountiful rainfall after the monsoon started, most of the important roads have become unmotorable owing to poor quality.

The small stretch between Melapalayam traffic island and the VST Mosque Junction on the Palayamkottai – Papanasam stretch being maintained by the Department of State Highways, gives a nightmarish experience to everyone who has to pass through this danger zone, particularly at night.

With two muddy ‘pools’ — one of the two pits having a knee-deep crater — two-wheeler riders face a serious threat to their life as they pass through this spot at night as they may not notice the ‘warning signboard’ kept at this spot by a nearby trader after seeing a good number of bike-riders sustaining bleeding injuries in accidents.

The potholes in the stretch between Palayamkottai bus stand and Kulavanigar manned level crossing and the road between Vaeinthaankulam new bus stand and NGO Colony intersection made these spots totally unsafe for two-wheeler riders.

Even buses and lorries struggle a lot to cross the huge pit lying beneath the muddy rainwater in the stretch between Samanthanapuram traffic island and the District Police Office, popularly known as ‘SP Office’.

Almost all two-wheeler riders, especially those who visit this area for the first time after the rain meet with accidents at this danger zone.

After the highway was dug across for laying cables near the Income Tax Office on the Palayamkottai – Tuticorin Highway, the perilous trench was not properly covered either with bitumen or concrete mixture. As a result, speeding vehicles, which are stopped suddenly on approaching the impending danger, suffer violent hits from behind by vehicles.

Though the Corporation took steps for clearing the stagnating rainwater on the western-end of the two-tier flyover at Tirunelveli Junction following the recent rains, the State Highways Department seems to be in no mood to solve this problem. Riding bikes along the North Bypass Road with full of potholes is one of the ‘adventurous’ trips.

“We’ve appealed to the highways department officials on various occasions and informed them of the accidents taking place here. But no action has been taken so far to make the danger zones safe,” said a police officer attached to the traffic investigation wing of Tirunelveli City Police.

A State Highways Department official, who did not want to be quoted, said early steps would be taken to make the roads safer at least till the end of the monsoon.