Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Residents resort to blockade

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, NOV.16. Over 100 residents from Vetri Vinayagar Nagar staged a road blockade today complaining of inaction on the part of the Coimbatore Corporation to improve the condition of roads in their areas.

Led by the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Councillor from Ward 72, M. Krishnaswamy, they raised slogans against the Corporation and accused it of not taking any steps to remove their plight. (Official sources said estimates had been drawn up for road works in this area and the scheme had progressed to the stage where tenders would be called soon.)

A few days ago, residents of Gandhi Maanagar and Ganapathy Maanagar staged a blockade with a similar grouse. They dispersed after the Mayor, T. Malaravan, assured at least temporary measures during monsoon to eliminate rain-related problems.

Lack of faith

But today the residents of Vetri Vinayagar Nagar refused to buy the assurances from Corporation and police officials and refused to call off the blockade. The residents expressed total lack of faith in the civic body and insisted that they would continue the blockade. They squatted on the Sathyamangalam Road at Bharathi Nagar, holding up traffic. Consequently, police removed 57 persons, including the Councillor and 44 women. They were let off later.

The three residential areas have been going through an ordeal inflicted on them for years by bad roads. These are satellite townships formed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board with funding by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

Five-year struggle

The roads were formed 10 years ago but could not be tar-topped as uncertainty prevailed over handing over of roads to the Coimbatore Corporation for maintenance. The residents waged a five-year struggle for motorable roads, during which they accused the Corporation of neglecting these areas, especially Ganapathy Maanagar. The civic body refuted the charges stating that the roads had not been handed over to them for maintenance after completion of the housing projects. As a result, very few people came forward to occupy the houses.

At one stage, the roads had such huge potholes that even fire tenders could not be rushed to accident spots through these stretches. Even the State- owned transport corporation was reportedly forced to withdraw some of its town services.

After a long struggle, the civic body decided to take over the roads but the residents complained even now of little attention being paid to their problems. There were huge potholes on all the roads and rain turned them slushy.

"All the roads in Vetri Vinayagar Nagar are a mess. Driving is a nightmare. People had lost patience and were forced by the condition of the roads to take to the streets and protest," Mr. Krishnaswamy said.

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