The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Detour may further damage roads, say residents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Detour may further damage roads, say residents

By K. Lakshmi

Vehicles from Kodambakkam and T. Nagar take a diversion into a narrow road of Lake Area near Valluvar Kottam. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI, APRIL 9. Residents of Lake Area in Nungambakkam, are considering wearing facemasks to protect themselves from the dust raised by vehicles plying on this badly damaged road.

Vehicles coming from Kodambakkam towards Nungambakkam and Anna Salai now take a detour, with a left turn to enter the Lake area, before the Valluvar Kottam traffic signal. They reach the Independence Day Park, turn into the Valluvar Kottam High Road, reach the junction and take a left to enter the Kodambakkam High Road. Civic officials are re-laying a part of the Kodambakkam High Road near the Metrowater filling station. This stretch has been badly damaged due to the frequent plying of water tankers.

Residents of the Lake area are unhappy with the detour as they feel that the road may be further damaged with many more vehicles plying on the narrow streets.

Kamala Ramanathan, a resident, says: "It is a welcome sign that the Kodambakkam High Road is getting repaired. It will ease the traffic congestion during peak hours. But, the authorities must also consider repairing the damaged roads in Lake Area, because it looks like the diversion will continue for at least two months."

A teacher of the nearby Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School says the road was damaged due to the water tankers that frequent a Metrowater filling station near the school. The authorities must also ensure the safety of pedestrians as it is a school zone. With the school reopening in June, the traffic may worsen during peak hours.

The bus stop at the Valluvar Kottam High Road has also been temporarily shifted to the Lake Area, inconveniencing commuters. Vasantha Prasad, a regular commuter, said that a temporary shelter be built as it is difficult to wait for long especially in summer.

Prakash Jain, joint secretary of the Nungambakkam Exnora Innovators Club said that despite representations to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation on building a temporary bus shelter , action had not been taken.

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