The Hindu 23.07.2012
Space beneath ROBs becomes dumping grounds for garbage
Anti-social elements find a safe haven, complain residents
No man’s land:Building debris and garbage are being dumped under the
road overbridge at Palakkarai in the city. —PHOTO:R.M. RAJARATHINAM
While there has been much talk in recent days about the
city beautification initiatives, public space beneath many road
overbridges in Tiruchi continue to present a picture of squalor and
neglect. Public space beneath the Palakkarai and Thennur road over
bridges (ROBs), in particular, are turning into convenient dumping
grounds for building debris and garbage.
Although the
then civic administrators had announced that the open space beneath the
bridges (when they were declared open for traffic) would be put to good
use, for creating a parking lot or public parks, years have passed by
without any initiative in this direction.
The entire
space along the bridges on the Thennur High Road, the Heber Road, and
the Madurai High Road have now turned shelters for encroachers for
varied purposes and for shopkeepers and residents to dump their garbage.
Truck and goods van operators also find it a convenient place to park
their vehicles. At a few places, the open space with the pillars at
regular intervals make for work sheds for a few artisans eking out a
living from bamboo products.
Though the city
corporation has put up notices prohibiting dumping of garbage or debris
beneath the Palakkarai ROB , the warnings have hardly had any impact.
“With several construction projects going on in the vicinity along the
Heber Road, the debris of demolished buildings are regularly being
dumped under the bridge,” says R.Gopal, a resident of Bheema Nagar.
Open
spaces beneath the bridge around the Ramakrishna Theatre corner near
Thennur has been converted into an open garbage dump and urinal.
The
dingy corners beneath the bridges, especially near the Thennur and
Palakkarai railway crossings, have also become the refuge of
anti-socials, complain residents. Residents also point out though the
bridges have been provided with streetlights, the space beneath are
unlit, adding to the insecurity of the residents.
Sakunthala
Srinivasan, a resident of Anna Nagar, and president, Tiruchi
Payaneetalar Iyakkam, has long been complaining about the insecure
situation and frequent incidents of chain snatching beneath the bridge
at Thennur.
Over the years, the Payaneetalar Iyakkam
has been seeking permission from the corporation for creating and
maintaining a park beneath the Thennur ROB. But the civic authorities
are yet to arrive at a decision on the organisation’s offer.