Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Rain turns Nanjundapuram Road a slushy mess

By Subha J Rao

A private bus fell into a roadside drain in the Usnabad stretch on Nanjundapuram Road on Tuesday. Work to blacktop the road is yet to be completed and rain over the past two days has aggravated the problem. — Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

COIMBATORE, FEB. 1. After a brief respite, commuters travelling on the potholed Nanjundapuram Road are getting used to traffic snarls and diversions again. The sudden spell of rain over the past two days has only worsened things.

Usnabad worst affected

This morning a private bus fell into the wayside drainage canal on the worst affected Usnabad stretch, which has since been widened and the drains left uncovered. This led to a nasty traffic snarl and frayed tempers. The problem was compounded, as vehicles coming towards Podanur were not aware of the roadblock. This scene was one of chaos with vehicles competing to make their way through a narrow road belonging to the Railways, which snakes alongside the Usnabad stretch.

Series of bumps

Following public protests, work on the road started more than two months ago; but has not progressed fast enough. The contractors stopped with widening the road and levelling it with red soil. The constant vehicular movement saw the soil layer thinning and finally wearing out, reducing the road to a series of bumps.

The problems did not stop with widening the road. Lorry and bus drivers took advantage of the additional space and sped past, endangering other commuters. The rain was the final nail. Now, the road is back to what it used to look like - a slushy mess.

Officials of the State Highways, under whose jurisdiction the road falls, were unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, the Kurichi Panchayat Union chairman, R. Nagarajan, and 21 councillors are to stage a protest on Friday in the Podanur market. The protest is to demand that work on the road be speeded up and repair work be taken up on the Church Road and Podanur Main Road, which are a shambles following the rain.

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