Chennai Citizen Connect: No respite for public from Anna Nagar pavement encroachment

CHENNAI: While Anna Nagar is counted as one of the thriving and vibrant locations in the city due to the high presence of commercial and leisure activities, what it lacks is a decent pedestrian footpath.

At one of the exits of Tirumangalam Metro station, near a popular food stall, the pedestrian footpath has been blocked, forcing the public to walk on the road.

“I had been taking this route from the Metro station for over a month now, and through all this time, I had noticed the pedestrian footpath had been kept closed in the pretence of some work. However, there is no clarity as to what kind of work is under way till now,” said Ganesh, a resident of Anna Nagar.

“The entire Anna Nagar Second Avenue stretch is occupied by food stalls, which I am not against, but at least the pedestrian footpath must be free. Especially in this particular area, barricades can be seen blocking the route, with no department intervention to date,” said Raghunathan, a resident of Shanthi Nagar who regularly takes a stroll in the area.

Additionally, a civic rights activist noted, “Any thriving city is considered truly developed only if there is an ideal walking space. But, in Chennai and in Anna Nagar overall, free space to walk or the idea of pedestrian footpath has been compromised either by the government department or private establishments.”

Commenting on the issue, a Chennai corporation official noted that necessary action will be initiated at the earliest.