Chennai: Milling of road maroons Nolambur residents
When contacted, corporation officials told DC they had accidentally damaged the pipeline in the locality.
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation’s commitment to milling roads before relaying ended up counterproductive as it literally excavated an interior road leaving Nolambur residents fuming among the ruins.
The road in question is Kamarajar Street, an interior road of 150 m length, located in Nolambur fifth block. Residents recalled how the corporation awoke the locality from sleep around 11 pm on March 1 on its way to turning the place into an archaeological work site.
“We were asleep when someone rang the doorbell five or six times a little after 11 pm. When we opened the door, it was a corporation worker asking us to shift our vehicles to another place because they were relaying the road. I obliged and went back to sleep. But the reality dawned on us only the next morning,” said R. Pandian, a resident.
The dug up cement concrete blocks make even walking a strenuous task and as such the locality, despite housing 50 families, bears a desolate look as residents prefer to stay indoors than venturing out and injuring themselves.
“It has been two days now and we have not heard from the corporation officials. There are iron rods protruding out of some concrete pieces. We cannot take our vehicles out. Senior citizens sit at home fearing they will fall down doing the balancing act on the stones,” said Gunasekaran, another resident.
What is making things worse is that the piped drinking water supply for the locality is available only in the street abutting it and this road condition has deprived them of water. “It is impossible to carry a pot full of water through the rubble and bring it home,” said Bharathi, a resident.
When contacted, corporation officials told DC they had accidentally damaged the pipeline in the locality.
when trying to mill the road. “The residents complained that we should fix the pipeline before relaying the road. To repair the pipeline, we need Metro Water’s cooperation. So, we are waiting,” said anofficial. “I will ask the workers to start clearing the rubble at least,” the official added.
