CHENNAI: In the backyard of one of Chennai’s biggest SEZs, Manapakkam is home to deluxe apartments and an ashram that attracts thousands of followers across the world. What it does not have, however, are good roads.
The Manapakkam main road, a five-kilometre stretch that connects residents of areas such as Manapakkam, Mugalivakkam and Gerugambakkam, had caved in twice in the last two years. Although it was eventually patched up, residents say that the road, a large part of which is now waterlogged and unmotorable, has to be relaid before the worst of the monsoons.
“Last year, there were no rains and so we escaped. This year, even with the moderate spell received so far, the roads have been rendered almost unusable in some parts, “ says V Nagarajan, a resident of Manapakkam for nine years.
Although the first two kilometres of the main road from the Ramapuram signal is in good condition, things take a turn for the worse at the ‘T’ junction, where the road bends towards Gerugambakkam “During peak hours, the small stretch near the ‘T’ junction becomes so congested that it takes me an hour to get home from the ashram, when it usually takes about ten minutes,” Nagarajan said. Brought under the corporation’s wings in 2011, Manapakkam was one of the worst hit in the floods of 2015.
“Many times at nights, we prefer to leave our bikes at home and take the cab instead because it is very dangerous. After the damage in the 2015 floods, the roads have never been fixed,” says K Manickavasagam, a resident of the area for around ten years.
The bad condition of the roads in the area especially near the Manapakkam EB office, coupled with ongoing stormwater drain work in areas like Thiruvalluvar Nagar, results in a rough ride for motorists.
“I used to pick up my daughter from school, nowadays I ask her to come by the school bus even if it becomes late because I don’t feel safe riding my two-wheeler along this stretch. Cab drivers who know the area end up cancelling the rides,” says Uma Palaniappan, who works at the DLF IT SEZ, which is one of Chennai’s largest and is a kilometre away from the main road.
The SEZ accommodates over 50,000 employees, many of whom live in Manapakkam, Ramapuram or Mugalivakkam for the sake of convenience. She adds that access to emergency services is also at stake.
A highways department official says that `80 lakh have now been sanctioned for laying one kilometre of the 5.5 metre wide main road.