Regular commuters dread impact of rain on Ramapuram roads

While the recent spell of rains may come as a welcome relief to many in the city, regular commuters dread the impact of a good shower on the roads.
Motorists having a rough ride on Kamarajar Salai at Ramapuram which has been lying in a bad state for over a year | MARTIN LOUIS
Motorists having a rough ride on Kamarajar Salai at Ramapuram which has been lying in a bad state for over a year | MARTIN LOUIS
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CHENNAI: While the recent spell of rains may come as a welcome relief to many in the city, regular commuters on the Kamarajar Salai in Ramapuram, which connects the Mount-Poonnamallee High Road and Arcot road, dread the impact of a good shower on the stretch.

For over a year now, traders and commuters on the stretch said that they have had a rough ride ever since the road was dug up for underground drainage activities.

“Water-logging is very common on the road. The pits and water make the commute doubly difficult at night,” said Shanthakumar RM, a regular commuter on the road, that stretches to around one  km.

Traders along the stretch are seeing a slump in business after several users have learnt to avoid the stretch in the one year that it was dug up. “Now, people take the Rayala Nagar 1st main road instead of commuting through this road,” said D Rajendiran, who owns a shop on the road.

According to K Paulraj, president of the Ramapuram Traders Association, falls and accidents were not uncommon in the area. “We hope that it is re-laid before heavy rains or the entire stretch will turn unusable,” he said.

Metro Water officials said works undertaken at Kamarajar Salai have been completed and handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation.

“However, work is still on at the Bharathi Salai that Kamarajar Salai leads to and will take a month and a half for completion,” the Metro Water official said.

Corporation officials said that since work was still going on at the Valluvar Salai junction that connects Kamarajar Salai and Bharathi Salai, the re-laying work was still pending.

“As soon as work at the junction has been completed, we will re-lay the roads,” the official said.

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