CHENNAI : The underground passage under Kathipara Flyover has been inaccessible for pedestrians for more than one year due to constant water stagnation. This has not been cleared by authorities even after repeated complaints from residents, who allege that this spot has become a mosquito-breeding ground.
This passage is located under the stretch of the flyover which plies from Guindy to Porur, near a Nehru statue. Due to uncleared rainwater stagnation, pedestrians do not make use of this subway anymore, said locals.
P Nalan, a resident of Alandur, has been striving to get the subway cleared, but officials treat this location as a no man’s land and refuse to take up responsibility. “I called and registered a complaint on Corporation’s helpline, Amma Azhaipu, and the sanitary department a month ago. I informed the state highways department too. Though it comes under their jurisdiction, it has not been cleared yet. Once, a zone 13 official came to the spot and assured that it will be cleared, but nothing has been done so far,” he said.
Recently, the Madras High Court had pulled up the Chennai Corporation for its unsatisfactory measures taken for dengue control. Spots like this in the city have become an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that spread dengue. “There is also a private school nearby. Though this is a minor civic issue, officials turn a blind eye to such problems,” added Nalan.
When contacted, state highways department officials said that it was a long-pending issue and that this location comes under their purview. “This passage is hardly used by any pedestrians, so water stagnation shouldn’t be a problem. But we will clear it immediately,” said an official.