COIMBATORE: Residents alleged that the Suez 24x7 drinking water project, the Underground drainage (UGD) works and the gas pipeline works, coupled with the incessant rains, has made the roads of Coimbatore non-commutable. The onset of the Northeast monsoon saw incessant rainfall in the district on Friday and Saturday.The district received a total of 1,076 mm of rain with an average of 46.78 mm of rainfall on Friday, according to the rain report.
According to sources, although major water logging problems were averted by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) in the railway underpasses, including the Lanka corner and Avinashi Flyover, water stagnant issues on roads where the drinking water supply project is being carried out have become a cause of concern.
S Vinoth, a resident of Selvapuram, told TNIE, “Majority of the roads have been unusable over the years due to their worst condition. The roads were left unattended after Suez dug it for the drinking water project and no works to fix it have been undertaken by the corporation. The already non-motorable roads have turned into slush pits due to the incessant rains and have become death traps for the people.”
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said that the civic body officials have been working in full swing and are taking necessary measures to prevent any untoward incidents. He added that high-power motor pumps are being deployed at railway underpasses to pump out the rainwater.
“A few of the roads where the drinking water projects are being carried out have clay soil beneath the tar roads, due to which the roads turn slushy after rains. However, officials have been instructed to fill them with stones and other wet mixes to prevent the slushiness. With the rains pouring continuously, we couldn’t carry out the road repair works. All the new road paving works which were kick-started at Rs 26 crore across the city will be completed by the end of January next year,” he added.
Meanwhile, TN Electricity minister V Senthil Balaji, along with Collector Dr GS Sameeran, Prathap, CCMC Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar and other officials, inspected the works at the Lanka Corner underpass and other areas in the city.
Addressing the media persons, Senthil Balaji said, “Last year, rainwater flooded several underpasses across the city. But this year, such incidents were avoided due to the preventive measures taken by the district administration and corporation officials.”
“The roads have been in battered condition since the past 10 years. Around Rs 211 crore worth of road work is being carried out in the city and about Rs 200 crore of funds have been allotted by the CM for fixing the roads in the city, of which Rs 26 crore has been released now and the works have already begun. The remaining funds will be released by March and all the damaged roads across the city will be fixed soon,” he further said.