Residents of localities along ECR complain that civic works have turned many roads slushy

Residents of many localities along the ECR including Neelankarai and Kottivakkam, are complaining of sand and earth being left on the roads due to civic works.

The common complaint is that the roads were cut for only about 5 ft width, but, the dug up earth was piled and left alongside. Over time, due to the rains, the mud has spread all over the street causing inconvenience to the residents.

“I saw a family of three, fall off their bike due to a hole on the road. These roads have become too dangerous for two-wheeler riders. Car and autorickshaws are often getting stuck in the sand too. When it rains, things become worse with slush,” said Kalidas, a resident of Palavakkam.

Residents in many streets have been unable to book autorickshaws and cabs for travel, as many drivers refuse rides to such damaged lanes. “The streets look terrible and if my wheels get stuck in the holes or the mud, it will take a lot of effort to extricate them. I would rather walk on these streets than take my vehicle,” said Vijay, an autorickshaw driver in the area.

Gokulnath Natesan, an organic farmer of Raja Street in Kottivakkam said that at nights it was even more difficult to navigate due to the darkness. “The streetlights have been removed on some stretches. All of us in our family have met with accidents over the last 7-8 months. My cousin broke his tooth. The only consolation is that, hopefully, when the work is done, our streets won’t get water-logged during the monsoon. Last year, people on many streets had to pump out water from their homes due to flooding.”

At Neelankarai, M. Sivakumar, former president of the Kapaleeswarar Nagar Residents Welfare Association, said that, though the sewer lines have been laid and tests completed, the treatment plant is still under construction. “I have come to know that inauguration of these facilities would be done only by next year. The roads are not likely to be re-laid any sooner and we will have to bear with this for some more time. Travelling on these streets feels like taking a horse ride. At Pandian Salai near the Buckingham Canal, they are building rainwater harvesting structures after breaking good cement concrete roads,” he complained.