Citizen Connect: Pothole-ridden Katappa Road in Kolathur irks commuters
With just a few days left before the onset of the northeast monsoon, the civic body is yet to carry out pre-monsoon works to prevent water logging in the area
Water-logged Katappa Road in Kolathur
CHENNAI: Katappa Road at Kolathur, which has been riddled with numerous potholes for over a month, has put the commuters at high risk.
The condition of the road is mainly due to the recent underground pipeline work carried out by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. They have failed to re-lay the road after the pipeline work.
The damaged road has been causing inconvenience and risk for motorists and also troublesome for those who are walking.
Though multiple complaints were registered with the local body to re-lay the road to avoid mishaps there has been no response and the condition still remains the same.
“The civic body did some patchwork for the damaged road ahead of northeast monsoon but within a week road cut was done by the metro water board. After fixing the damaged drinking water pipeline the department concerned did not re-lay the road.
Motorists are having a tough time riding or driving through the potholes. The pathetic conditions have irked commuters, especially during rainy days when it becomes worse. Even for mild spells, there are puddles of water that lead to traffic congestion,” said Mohan Babu, a resident of Kolathur.
Local residents stated that the road is one of the arterial roads that connect several areas including Vinayagapuram, Senthil Nagar, Retteri, Puzhal, Anna Nagar, and Villivakkam.
The road is used by heavy vehicles which causes traffic gridlock, especially during the peak hours and rainy seasons. With a few days left before the onset of the northeast monsoon, the civic body has yet to carry out pre-monsoon works to prevent water logging in the area.
The motorists are forced to commute through the route which is the easiest way to reach the nearby areas. As vehicles pass through the road, the eatery business has been severely affected.
Natraj, who owns an eatery shop on Katappa Road complained that dust particles settle on the food items and affect the business. We are tired of cleaning the store and only a few customers are visiting the stop due to the poor road condition.
When contacted a senior Corporation official of Madhavaram zone (Zone 3) said that the works to re-lay roads have been carried out and the majority of work are expected to be completed before the northeast monsoon commences.