CHENNAI: Encroachment of pavements, haphazard parking, and irregular collection of garbage remain the major issues in the posh locality of Anna Nagar zone. Though many roads have pavements in Shanthi Colony and surrounding areas, the residents are forced to walk on the roads as most footpaths are occupied. In most of these stretches, illegal parking is rampant as shops mushroom in residential localities.
Even interior areas, like 18th Main Road, have not been spared, said A Karthik, a local resident. Irregular garbage collection is another problem, he added. Residents of Arumbakkam who need to pass through CMBT via Jai Nagar face numerous bottlenecks. There is no proper footpath in a lot of areas and I have personally seen many people nearly get hit by vehicles. Also, the roads damaged during construction of CMBT-Koyambedu bridge have not been repaired, said Rani, a resident of Arumbakkam.
“There are schools, hospitals, shops and malls in Anna Nagar. While people can reach their destination in 15-20 minutes by walking, they don’t prefer it as the pavements are encroached and there is no uniformity. Creating dedicated pedestrian facilities will help improve the situation,” said Santhosh Loganaathan, Deputy Manager, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). According to the Institute of Road Transport guidelines, there should be a footpath every 200m, but the residents have to travel more than 1 km to access the VR Mall. Creating road-level crossings in the stretch will stop people jumping over the median, he added.
Other issues
Flooding is also a major problem in areas like Arumbakkam, Choolaimedu, MMDA Colony and Azad Nagar. In Naduvankarai, the garbage is dumped on the road. “In many of these areas, the residents receive sewage mixed water. In Muthu Irulandi Colony in 107th ward, there is still no ration shop despite several petitions. The locals are to go to NSK Nagar, which is three km away to purchase ration items,” said Mahendravarman, a social activist.