KARAIKAL: Raising alarm over the “worsening plight” of a 21.5-kilometre stretch of the Vanjur-Nandalar main road connecting Karaikal with Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam, commuters urge the authorities concerned to immediately re-lay the road forming part of NH 32 and avert any possibility of fatal accidents in the route. Two-wheeler riders using the road complain that daily travel has become life-threatening, with frequent skidding incidents and near-accidents reported due to the presence of potholes, craters and loose gravel in the stretch.
A commuter said that a scooter carrying two schoolchildren skidded on the road earlier this week. "Thankfully, we were able to lift them before a goods truck arrived," the commuter told. Local residents said they had in December last year urged the Karaikal administration to undertake immediate repairs but in vain. "Frustrated by the continued neglect, we staged a protest on January 29 by paying ‘floral tributes’ to the pothole-ridden road in order to draw official attention to this public safety hazard," said Ansari Babu from the Karaikal people protesting committee.
Babu said the road has been damaged for around a decade now, with few repairs undertaken in between. Calling for legal accountability against the officials responsible for the road’s upkeep, Babu said, “The continued inaction despite repeated complaints could amount to dereliction of duty, particularly if serious injuries or fatalities occur." When enquired, senior officials in the Public Works Department (PWD) said a proposal to re-lay the entire stretch, with dense bituminous macadam and bituminous concrete layers with a rough thickness of 10 cm, at a cost of Rs 57 crore has been submitted with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The sanction is expected by the end of February, they told. The PWD is responsible for the maintenance of the said stretch. In the meantime, patch works are being carried out at the worst-affected spots to reduce immediate risks to commuters, an official added. Commuters, however, said new potholes emerge in the stretch witnessing heavy traffic after every spell of rain. They urged authorities to fast-track the project approval and carry out comprehensive repairs at the earliest.