Citizen connect: Punnapakkam residents affected by shoddy work on crucial bridge work

CHENNAI: The remote villages in Tiruvallur district such as Punnapakkam, and Beemanthoppu are severely affected by the incomplete bridge work at Punnapakkam Road as the stretch acts as a main route for the residents to reach Tiruvallur town for their everyday work.

Residents of these rural villages fumed that despite several hundred villagers using the road to reach Tiruvallur, the small bridge constructed by the district administration is still in a poor state.

“This is the easiest and shortest way to reach Tiruvallur or else we have to go around 10 km to reach the town,”said E Manavalan, a resident of Punnapakkam.

“I am working in an automobile company at Melnallathur and reach home late at night. Without adequate measures on safety indicators to direct motorists and commuters, a barricade is placed without any purpose,” he said

The sudden rain in the area has made the situation a lot worse, allege villagers.

“The district administration has constructed a new bridge for commuters near the Punnapakkam Road. However, the roads are not laid yet. After every rain, this new bridge turns muddy and creates difficulty for commuters,” another resident rued.

“The residents further said crossing the muddy and slippery bridge after the rain became nearly fatal, especially for heavy vehicles and parents with their school kids,” noted a resident of Beemanthoppu.

The residents pointed out that heavy vehicles operating through the bridge had made it even harder for the commuters to use the road.

The officials of the district administration did not respond when contacted.