Infrastructure challenges continue to plague Tiruchi

The Uyyakondan canal continues to be subject to severe pollution in Tiruchi.

Although the year that has passed has seen some important developments in Tiruchi such as the opening of the new integrated bus terminus, the City continues to grapple with some major infrastructure challenges.

The opening of the integrated bus terminus, named after former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, had fulfilled a long-felt need for a spacious bus terminus in the city. But, barring this and a few other projects such as the new aviary on the Cauvery banks, several ongoing infrastructure projects such as the construction of the section stage of the Road Over Bridge (ROB) near the Railway Junction and the new (ROB), the new road over bridge across the Cauvery, construction of a new bus terminus at Srirangam, the revamp; expansion of the underground sewer system and development of city roads have dragged on.

The Uyyakondan canal continues to face the brunt of the urban pollution and the planned sewage treatment plants are yet to materialise. Even the River Cauvery is not spared from discharge of sewage in the city.

Major proposals such as the building of the service lanes along the Tiruchi-Thanjavur Highway, renovation/redevelopment of the Gandhi Market, developing an alternative road to the highly-congested Vayalur Road; the semi-ring road development between Panjapur and Thindkukarai along with an elevated corridor near the IBT on Tiruchi-Madurai NH have been pending for years. Traders of the Gandhi Market are none too happy with the Corporation for going ahead with the construction of new market at Panjapur, which they claim would not meet their requirements just as the Central Market at Kallikudi.

The State government continues to oscillate over the vexed issue of building service lanes between Palpannai and Thuvakudi – a long pending demand of residents along the Thanjavur Highway. The land acquisition for the service lanes yet to be completed and uncertainty prevails.

The Highways Department’s rather ambitious plans of building three elevated corridors – between between Chinthamani and Mallachipuram; Head Post Office and Puthur Four Road Junction; and Chinthamani to Railway Junction — remain on paper. The city also failed to make the cut for a metro rail system.

“Leave aside such ambitious plans; we would like to see some of the long pending proposals executed first. We badly need a long term traffic management plan, to ease the congestion in and around the city,” observes P.Ayyarappan, president, Road Users Welfare Association.

Some of the problems that cropped up after the opening the IBT such as the congestion in TVS Tollgate and Palpannai are yet to be addressed. The stretch from Mannarpuram to Panjapur still does not have street lights, months after opening of the IBT.

Indiscriminate encroachments by vendors, shopkeepers and parking of vehicles on most roads remains a bane in the city. “At least the arterial roads in the city should be freed of this menace,” Mr.Ayyarappan said.

“Not one major road is without bumps or potholes in the city,” rues C.Balasubramanian, advisor, District Exnora, taking a dim view of the slow pace of execution of the underground sewer project and the digging of the roads for the project across the city. Waterlogging during monsoon remains a problem, despite the Corporation claims of building drainages ever year, he added.

“There is absolute lack of consultation with residents / civic associations. Some of the perennial problems remain unaddressed. We hope things would change in the coming year,” Mr.Balasubramanian said.

However, some of the city’s activists are optimistic over the city’s prospects in the coming year. “Tiruchi is developing fast, with major infrastructure such as the IBT, the bypass roads, and expansion of the city limits with the merger of 22 panchayats. The industrial parks would spur economic growth. We can expect more development in the near future,” felt M.A.Aleem, former Vice-principal of the K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College.