COIMBATORE: Traders and shopkeepers along Cross Cut Road in Gandhipuram have expressed resentment over the unrepaired road, three months after pipeline installation was done under the 24x7 water supply project.
The road was dug up several months ago as part of the project executed by private firm Suez. However, the damaged stretch remains in poor condition, inconveniencing traders, customers and motorists.
The traders said they urged the corporation to either postpone the excavation work until after the Deepavali season or ensure the entire work, including road restoration, was completed before the festival.
"The Deepavali season is crucial for businesses in Gandhipuram. We informed officials about the difficulties digging up the road would cause. But nobody paid heed to our concerns. Even after completing the pipeline work, they have failed to restore the road," said S Ravichandran, a trader on Cross Cut Road.
"We depend on the festive season to improve our sales. Customers are finding it difficult to reach our establishments, and this has affected our trade," a shopkeeper said.
CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said, "As we didn't want to hinder the busy Deepavali season, the road restoration work wasn't taken up. It would take around a month for the officials to restore the road completely.
The state highways department has put out a tender and will start work soon after the festival. In the meantime, as a temporary measure, we have put a layer of wet mix on the damaged stretch and carried out patchworks," he said.