That roads are repeatedly dug up for some work or the other has for long been a thorn in the side of the Chennai Corporation’s attempts to ensure smooth roads across the city. But unauthorised road cuts are posing a bigger problem not just for the civic body, but also for motorists. An illegal road cut in the middle of the 4th Main Road of Kamaraj Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur has caused a string of accidents over the past couple of days, underlining the menace the Corporation is faced with.
The road was dug up without the Corporation’s permission in the dead of the night by a builder of a construction project nearby. The hole in the road has been covered up shoddily, leaving a loose mound of sand, gravel and stone in the middle of the road. This has caused at least 10 minor accidents over the past three days alone, say locals. To make things worse, the road is not properly lit, making it difficult for motorists to see the slippery mound. Also, the street has become a major traffic way after Chennai Traffic Police started rerouting buses and other vehicles through it.
“We have helped at least five or six motorists after they skid on the gravel. We also had to rush an auto driver to the nearby dispensary when his auto overturned after hitting the mound,” complains a driver from an auto stand not far away. Local Corporation officials told City Express they were not aware of the road cut, and appealed to citizens to immediately call the Corporation help line if they noticed unauthorised persons digging up roads in their neighbourhood. “We will take immediate action with this case. But it is not possible to track every inch of every street. Citizens should not keep quiet when they see their road being dug up. They must go enquire,” said a Corporation official.
While data was not available on how many unauthorised road cuts the Corporation is forced to deal with, the official conceded that it was an area of concern.
“The Corporation top brass is giving us great pressure to ensure the roads are in good shape. There is already the problem of roads being dug up often by government agencies. These unauthorised road cuts are a big headache for both officials and the people,” said the official.
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