Chennai: Pending roadworks days ahead of northeast monsoon rankle Kolathur residents
The primary concerns revolve around an extreme delay in constructing a central median along a key 750-metre stretch;
Vehicles parked on the 40-foot road in Kolathur
CHENNAI: Residents of Thanikachalam Nagar in Kolathur called upon the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Metro Water Board (CMWSSB) to expedite multiple infrastructure projects ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon.
The primary concerns revolve around an extreme delay in constructing a central median along a key 750-metre stretch. This corridor connects the Second Main Road of Thanikachalam Nagar through Swamy Ramalingam Colony, Rangasamy Salai, and Selvam Nagar, ultimately linking to the 80 Feet Road near Kumaran Nagar.
Compounding the issue is significant encroachment. K Nammalwar, president, Thanikachalam Nagar Residents’ Welfare Associations Federation, stated: “Both residences and commercial establishments have encroached upon the 40-foot road by using it for parking. This has reduced its effective width. Coupled with the unfinished median, it’s chaotic for commuters every day.”
Expressing frustration over the slow pace and quality of the median work, Nammalwar fumed over the substandard fill material, like plastic waste and glass-filled soil that have been used. “A trench dug three months ago to install water and sewage utilities remains unfilled. This has made the road dangerously incomplete,” he noted.
A critical parallel issue is the lack of piped water connections for over 100 houses along the Thanikachalam Canal. R Ponnuswami, a resident and treasurer of the Federation of North Chennai RWAs, averred: “The Metro Water Board must immediately install these pipelines before the GCC completes the road relaying, as road-cut permissions are typically prohibited after September.”
Confirming the monsoon-related ban on non-emergency road cuts, a Metro Water Board official told DT Next, “The majority of houses in the area already have service connections, with only a few exceptions.”
However, Ward 29 Councillor Karthikeyan Thirunavukarasu assured that the median work would be completed within a week. “We replaced the sand in the median with new material on Monday. Once the median is finished, road restoration will begin immediately,” he stated.
Meanwhile, anxious residents urged both civic bodies to coordinate and complete all pending work before the rains begin.