Mylai road tests riding skills

Not more than a mere 20 feet wide, this stretch links two important areas, Mandaiveli and Mylapore. Every resident of the locality has a story to tell about the hardships they undergo everyday not only due to the bad condition of the road but also due to the heavy traffic that traverses though it. It is a nightmarish ride for vehicle users as a stretch of the road is dotted with potholes, humps and knee-deep water when it rains. 

Houses, especially near the Mosque Street junction, are worst affected. They are witness to vehicles taking a dangerous turn right at the doorsteps.  “We never have a peaceful moment at home”, says S. Krishnan, whose house is situated at this junction. “Beginning from 5.30 am, vehicles whiz past our house every minute. Minor accidents too are not uncommon here,” he rues. S Narayanan, another residen is one of the worst hit. A few months ago he was thrown off his two-wheeler, when it hit a pothole on the road. 

“It is a daily nightmare to take my children to school” he says. As the road has not been re-laid for more than five years now, the vehicles on the road leave lot of dust in their wake. And this causes serious health problems for many, especially the elderly. With the density of vehicles going up every day pedestrians, are the worst sufferers. Kalyani who takes her children to a primary school off South Mada Street in Mylapore says, “I was almost knocked down by an autorickshaw once,” she said. There are no footpaths either and whatever is left of them has been strewn with construction debris and turned into garbage dump on which stray dogs and cattle feed. 

“With vehicles parked on either side of the road, where is the space to walk safely on this 30-feet road,” wonders Kalyani. This is not all. Even a small spell of rain causes water to stagnate on the stretch. This is because the road has not been levelled properly for water to flow into the storm water drain, point out residents. There is proliferation of mosquitoes due to stagnant waters and overflowing manholes. 

“During December last year water entered many of our houses. A Tangedco relay box fixed right in front of our house poses danger. There was a fire because of some sort of short circuit, lamented Mythili Vasudevan, another resident. The people of the locality have made several representations times regarding the plethora of civic problems but all their efforts have come to nought. When DTNext contacted Mayor Saidai Duraisamy, he said, “Funds have been sanctioned. But we cannot take any action till the Model Code of Conduct is in force. The road will be laid as soon as the local body polls are completed,” he assured.