Citizen Connect: Potholes trouble pedestrians, motorists in Santhosapuram

CHENNAI: Rain has become a nightmare for the residents living at first cross street, Susila Nagar, Santhosapuram near Tambaram as several potholes along the road pose danger to pedestrians, especially senior citizens and motorists. Residents say that though several complaints were lodged with the authorities, no action was taken to solve the issue.

“The road was not laid properly for several years. Residents living along the street face several issues especially in the rainy season. Since it was not a tar road, the potholes were getting bigger and bigger,” S Damodharan, a resident, living in the first cross street of Santhosapuram said.

Stating that rain water in the potholes were getting stagnated for at least four days after the downpour, he said the motorists do not know the depth of the potholes and if they wade through it the bikes tend to wobble. “Few motorists were injured after their motorcycles skidded due to water logging,” he added.

A senior official from the Tambaram corporation seeking anonymity said that allocation funds are on the process to repair and re-lay roads. Admitting that the office has received several complaints from the locals of Santhosapuram, he said “few more roads were also in bad shape and will be repaired soon”.

B Mohanakrishnan, an IT employee, who resides at first street, also blamed that there was no unity or association to take up the issue seriously. “If we all together stage a protest demonstration at the main road, definitely it will come to the notice of higher level authorities in the corporation”, he added.

He also blamed the authorities for concentrating and carrying out road repair works, only in the main roads and big streets ignoring the interior roads.