Urban News

The Deccan Chronicle  25.11.2010

Nov. 24: Even as the state government and local bodies continue to spend crores of public money for re-laying the battered roads, the situation has not improved. Potholes, battered pavements and incomplete stormwater drains seem to be the order of the day. Despite real estate prices sky-rocketing in the suburbs, the tale of their roads is worse and they have not seen any change for the past three years.

According to official sources, the ongoing underground drainage works in Tambaram, Pallavaram, Avadi and Ambattur have affected road re-laying in these neighbourhoods for the last few years. The local bodies in these municipalities are unable to carry on the regular repairs of interior roads. “Though the major bus route roads are maintained, the interior roads continue to be in a shambles and the situation of the Madras-Tirupati high road is pathetic,” laments Mr K. Narayanan, who operates cab services for MNCs.

“Both Ambattur and Guindy industrial estates suffer from bad roads and the recent rains have added to the existing woes,” says Mr Madhukar Rao, who operates a lathe factory in Ambattur. The government announced six-laning of the highly congested MTH road, but the project hangs in balance due to red-tapism. In such a situation, the highway department should at least expand the road, wherever it is possible, in a phased manner, he adds.

According to Chennai corporation sources, the intermittent rain played spoilsport with road repair works last month. The annual expenditure of the corporation for maintaining its roads comes to around `120 crore. For bus route roads, the civic body shells out `30 to 40 crore and for the remaining interior roads, the expenditure is about `80 crore.

Admitting that the underground drainage work has affected road re-laying works in Pallavaram, municipal chairman E. Karunanidhi said the municipality will spend `9.6 crore to repair and re-lay the battered roads.

Echoing similar sentiments, Tambaram municipal chairman E. Mani said the underground drainage works have been completed in 40 per cent of the localities and in these areas, road re-laying will begin at a cost of `6.85 crore, he said.

The state government recently began work on the proposed, 30-kilometre outer ring road, estimated to cost `1,086 crore. The road would start from Vandalur (NH 45) and connect Nemilicherry (NH 205) via Nazarathpet in Poonamalee and is expected to decongest inner ring road.