Chennai: An unnamed road, which could be utilised as a potential pedestrian path, is left to ruins in the busy T. Nagar for the last one year.
Haphazardly parked vehicles and heaps of garbage greet the public it this lane, which is sandwiched between Ranganathan street and Natesan street, near Mambalam railway station.
Even though the start of the road is maintained well by a restaurant, the remaining space of the 12-feet-lane is often used as a shelter for anti-social elements. The lane, used by roadside shoppers two years ago, lost its sheen, after traders were shifted to a shopping complex at Pondy Bazaar.
A few movable stalls and hundreds of bikes parked here congest the road, leaving pedestrians to walk through their mercy. A vendor in the lane said, “As I cannot afford to pay the rent at the newly built complex, I am utilizing the space here, even though it is not authorized. I will incur a loss, if I move from here.”
Hinting a conspiracy, he said, “There are few people who are maintaining both shops — one at the complex and the other here. We bribe the cops with '200 per week, so as to not disturb us.”
The lane, which connects to Mambalam Railway station, can be put to use, to reduce congestion on Ranganathan Street, say residents. “If it is brought back to shape, Ranganathan street would be de-congested. Commuters from the railway station can use it, which could be an appreciated move during festival season, said V.S. Jayaraman of T Nagar residents' welfare association
“Despite periodic cleaning, the place becomes messy within a day. We are planning to give a notice to all shops in that locality to embrace eco-friendly waste disposal methods. Also, a huge electrical transformer in the lane obstructs cleaning,” said a corporation official adding that the co-operation from public and shopkeepers is necessary.
