Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Bad roads pose problems for commuters in Podanur

Subha J Rao

Despite a ban heavy vehicles continue to ply on Nanjundapuram Road

FOR ACROBATS: Those not familiar with the contours of the battered stretch off the Podanur railway gate, will have to rely heavily on luck f to reach destinations. - Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

Coimbatore: These days, it takes more than just a licence to move about in Podanur. With both access roads to the city - Nanjundapuram and Podanur Main Road - in a bad shape after the recent rain that pounded the city, commuters are looking at alternatives to reach their workplaces.

During the last monsoon, they started using the slightly longer route that winds its way through Sundarapuram and the Ukkadam Lake.

This time round, even that was not possible. The battered stretch off the Podanur railway gate, which links Vellalore and Chettipalayam roads, was rendered unusable. For three days last week, it was just a sheet of water. Regulars familiar with the contours of the road managed to let their vehicles into manageable potholes, skilfully avoiding the ones that resembled small water bodies. Others fell spread-eagled on the waterlogged road after hitting the rough patches. It does not help that this is a low-lying area.

Now, it has been partly resuscitated by the dumping loads of red earth. But, residents are not happy. "More than a 1,000 heavy vehicles ply on this stretch and the temporary filling will not serve much purpose," says Nandakumar, an IT employee whose mother was hurt recently while trying to negotiate a pothole.

Proving his fears are the deep furrows carved in the red earth by lorries.

Now, the Kurichi special panchayat is planning to raise the height of this stretch. N. Prabhakaran, panchayat president, says he has written to the Highways Department in this regard.

Also, to avoid sewage water from logging near the Podanur Police Station, which witnesses frequent line bursts, the special panchayat is mulling dipping into its general funds to construct a culvert.

If at all one does escape the potholes on this stretch, the huge pits dug on either side of an already-cramped Nanjundapuram Road to construct drains and extend the road can fox even the most able motorists. Despite a city police order restricting heavy vehicle movement on this road, drivers continue to flout it, resulting in prolonged traffic jams.

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