Two foot over bridges in Nungambakkam haven for tipplers, anti-socials

CHENNAI: Two foot over bridges (FOB) in Nungambakkam under the Murasoli Maran MPLAD fund have been abandoned by pedestrians due to the presence of tipplers and open defecation.

The FOB on Utthamar Gandhi Salai (previously known as Nungambakkam High Road) was deserted with a foul odour permeating the area. The floor was covered with broken alcohol bottles and human faeces.

There are two elevators on both sides of the FOB but both do not work. Entrance to one of them is being used to park two-wheelers. The other elevator had a broken door. “It’s not being used by pedestrians as tipplers and homeless people use it,” said an auto driver in the area.

The FOB on Haddows Road is narrow, so pedestrians prefer walking than climbing the stairs. “There should at least be a proper median, like the roads in New Delhi, so people have to use the FOB. Though these FOBs incur huge investments, they are not maintained properly. It’s mainly used by anti-social elements. Before building new FOBs, these existing structures must be cleaned and renovated,” said K P Subramanian, former professor of urban engineering, Anna University.

Currently the FOBs are maintained by the Bridges department of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). When contacted, an official of the department said, “There is no maintenance for the FOB on Haddows Road as nobody uses it. The other one is maintained at the zonal level.”