COIMBATORE: Residents and motorists in Kavundampalayam are facing severe inconvenience as roads dug up for underground drainage (UGD) works have turned into mushy, slippery stretches following recent rains. Several two-wheeler riders have reportedly lost balance and sustained injuries while negotiating the damaged roads.
Residents of Ward 17 said several roads in the area had already been in poor condition for years, and the ongoing UGD works have further worsened the situation. With the roads becoming waterlogged and mushy, even pedestrians are finding it difficult to walk through the affected stretches.
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board has been executing UGD works in several parts of Coimbatore, including Vadavalli, Veerakeralam, Kavundampalayam, Thudiyalur, Vellakinar and Saravanampatti, on behalf of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). The works form part of the city's integrated underground drainage network expansion.
However, residents allege that several roads excavated for laying pipelines and constructing manhole chambers have not been properly restored. They said temporary patchwork carried out after the excavation has deteriorated, leaving behind potholes and uneven surfaces.
S Kumar, a resident of Sree Bagavathi Gardens in Ward 17, said the roads had been in poor condition even before the UGD works began.
"These roads were laid more than 15 years ago, when these areas were under the village panchayat. Even after the areas were merged with the corporation, new roads were not laid. The roads were already in a dilapidated state, and the UGD works have made the situation much worse. There are no proper roads now, only what looks like ploughed farmland. It has become so mushy that people cannot even walk," he said.
Another resident, T Subbu, said residents were facing difficulties accessing their homes. He alleged that officials had been digging roads without properly informing residents in prior, sometimes blocking the only access route to residential areas.
Residents have urged the authorities to restore the roads immediately, particularly as monsoon has made the stretches increasingly dangerous.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja acknowledged the issue and said necessary steps would be taken at the earliest. "We have instructed officials to carry out temporary patchwork in the affected areas using wet mix," he said.