Official apathy reason for bad roads in north Chennai: Residents

CHENNAI: Residents of North Chennai did not hold back their anger against civic body officials when DT Next spoke to them on the condition of city roads.

They stated that newly re-laid roads do not sustain even for a month, especially when heavy vehicles pass through. This is valuable feedback, especially considering that the civic body will begin re-laying roads at the end of January.

Several roads in the area have been in a bad shape for over a year and residents demand re-laying them at the earliest. Activists complain that despite issues being taken up with officials, there’s no field inspection and neither is the complaint addressed.

However, the corporation administrators beg to differ. They claim that hundreds of potholes were closed, and several patches of roads were re-laid during the recent monsoons.

The city corporation Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumar said that the tender process to re-lay roads is likely to begin today (January 5). “The repair works will be taken up at estimated cost of Rs 45 crore. At least 12 packages for main roads and 24 interior roads will be done in phase one, which is expected to begin at the end of Jan,” he explained. “Before the monsoon, zonal officers completed the patch work. The corporation has been regularly reviewing the status of city roads.”

Kumar also noted that guidelines will be strictly followed to ensure the longevity of the roads. “If the roads don’t last for a stipulated time period or gets damaged within few months, the contractor will be blacklisted,” he added.

“It’s a nightmare to navigate these roads. Many roads were dug up by several departments including the GCC, Metro Water board, Tangedco, etc, which created new or widened the old potholes,” pointed out R Sathyaraj, an activist.

Additionally, residents also fume over official apathy and neglect of their neighbourhood. “The government departments are more concerned about other parts of the city. The entire North Chennai is left out. When it rains, it’s difficult to even walk as the roads are muddy and slippery,” laments T Kiran, an activist in North Chennai.

North Chennai roads including Vaithyanathan Road, VOC Nagar, Ennore High road, Tiruvottriyur High Road, and Manali are severely damaged. “Regular driving on potholes might cause severe spine issues. If you have spinal cord or neuro related issues, it can lead to loss of sensation in both hands and lower limbs,” said Coimbatore based Dr Gangadevi, general physician.