The Hindu 13.07.2009
Most suburbs have no pavements
K. Lakshmi and K. Manikandan
— Photo: K.Manikandan
RISKY AFFAIR: Pedestrians near the Tambaram Bus Stand on Grand Southern Trunk, seen vying for space recently.
CHENNAI: Pavements are facilities that still remain alien to most suburbs around the city. Forced to walk along roads in heavy traffic zones, pedestrians face the risk of being hit by speeding vehicles.
Residents of Ambattur said that walking along arterial roads and school zones was risky during morning hours as pedestrians vie for space with motorists. With many roads being dug up in the western and northern suburbs for civic works, pedestrians are forced to walk in the middle of the road.
Anitha Raman of Maduravoyal said that incidents of pedestrians being knocked down by speeding vehicles was a regular feature.
Only a few areas can boast of footpaths. While Kaladipet in the northern suburb of Tiruvottiyur has a footpath, in the southern suburbs, the stretch of Grand Southern Trunk Road between Chennai Airport and Kathipara intersection and on Mount Poonamallee Road between St. Thomas Mount and Chennai Trade Centre – all arterial roads – lack pavements. Similarly, Medavakkam Main Road lacks pavements.
Meanwhile, the Alandur Municipality plans to build pavements on Eswaran Koil Street in Ayyappa Nagar. Residents complained that Velachery Main Road, which is maintained by the State Highways Department, has pavements only within the Chennai Corporation limits.
Public convenience facilities, ticket counters of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and shops have usurped footpath spaces on GST Road, Tambaram, they added.
Officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply said that it was not possible for many cash-strapped municipalities and town panchayats to construct pavements immediately as they were already burdened with the problems of providing basic amenities.
Officials of various municipalities in northern and western suburbs said that they were unable to provide footpaths, as most of the arterial roads belong to the National Highways Authority of India or the State Highways.
“We are now concentrating on upgrading earthen roads to tar roads. Once the developmental works are completed in the area, pavements would be constructed,” said a senior official of Ambattur Municipality.
An official of Madhavaram Municipality said that in the absence of a proper underground sewerage network, open canals along the streets still carry sewage and rainwater. Once the sewerage network is provided, open canals would give way for pavements. The roads are also constantly dug up for developmental schemes and during rains. “We plan to provide pavements in Thanikachalam Nagar along with road restoration work after completion of underground drainage project,” the official said.
An official of Avadi Municipality said that unlike roads in city, most of the streets in suburbs are less than 20 feet wide. There are plans to widen and lay new roads along with pavements once the major civic works are completed.
