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Unauthorised digging of roads irks residents

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The Hindu             29.11.2013

Unauthorised digging of roads irks residents

S.P. Saravanan

Though crores of rupees were spent by the City Municipal Corporation for repairing and relaying tar-topped roads, the condition of the roads remains pathetic as unauthorised digging of roads in residential areas for laying pipelines and sewer systems remains unchecked.

Though it is mandatory for residents to inform the civic body and pay the charges for road cutting and re-laying, the rules remain on the books as people continue to dig up roads at their convenience and never restore them to the original condition. This leaves formation of open pits and it is the road users who are left to feel the heat, says S. Ramamurthy, a resident of Mittapudur.

The situation is common in many of the residential areas as roads have been dug up for laying pipelines or to connect the house to the sewer system. On Brindavan Road, a pipeline was laid by a private individual and a speed breaker built on it so that no damage is caused to the pipes.

Though it is on one of the busiest roads in the city, it remains unchecked by officials concerned. Apart from revenue loss to the civic body, the deteriorating road condition poses hardship to road users in the areas concerned.

Stagnation of water on roads and unfinished underground sewerage works are giving bumpy rides to motorists and are also leading to accidents. When contacted, Corporation engineers told The Hindu that causing damage to roads would invite punishment and asked residents to get permission from the civic body before having any such work carried out.