CHENNAI: The arterial road linking Nerkundram with Poonamallee High Road and Kaliamman Kovil Street, which has been nearly unmotorable for about eight months, could become a issue ahead of the local body elections.
It was dug up last May to lay cast iron pipes and ductile iron concrete-lined pipes to the proposed sewage treatment plant at the Valliammai Nagar burial ground. But the work seems to have no end in sight, much to the anger of locals.
Even the ruling party's poll candidate seems annoyed. "Metro Water officials claim the road can’t be laid until the pipe work is done," says DMK candidate from Ward Number 145, Allen Raj, adding that he is trying to speed up the work.
But it's unlikely to be completed soon. While the roads near Muniyappa Nagar Main Road and Nerkundram Main Road were dug up and then temporarily covered, they still lack the iron pipes proposed to carry sewage. The reason being the phenomenal rise in steel prices. "Besides, we are facing labour issues. Now, we're just trying to use the available pipes," says an official.
Government contractor K Venkatesan points out that the price of steel has skyrocketed in the last three weeks, with a tonne costing an additional Rs 10,000. All government infrastructure projects have been affected, he says. On Muniyappa Nagar Main Road, the connection lines were dug up, but since the pipes were not installed, the road could not be laid as Chennai Metro Water hasn't granted approval.
"The roads were in bad shape during the rains, but the officials were not concerned. Even ambulances couldn’t enter Muniyappa Nagar Main Road," says R Anitha, the lone woman candidate (from the Nationalist Congress Party) among the ward's 13 poll contenders. "Ward 145 also lacks drinking water. Women are dependent on water from tankers, but they couldn’t enter the streets. I am contesting to highlight these problems," she adds.
S Santosh Kumar, of the Shri Muniyappa Nagar Residents Association, says the locals get step-motherly treatment compared to people in Virugambakkam and Valasaravakkam. “The Greater Chennai Corporation and Metro Water are not bothered. The officials only give excuses,” he complains.
Another issue is that about 90 per cent of Nerkundram village does not have patta. This has been a long-pending issue, says Santosh, adding that almost all candidates promise to resolve it before every election.