Sukrawarpettai road closed to enable pipeline work in Coimbatore
The people allege that CCMC closed the 500-metre stretch without making prior announcements.
Published: 26th August 2023 07:05 AM | Last Updated: 27th August 2023 05:16 PM | A+A A-
Pipelines work underway in the 500-metre stretch of the Sukrawarpettai road in Coimbatore. (Photo | S Senbagapandiyan)
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has closed a stretch of the road in Sukrawarpettai to facilitate pipeline installation work for the 24x7 drinking water supply project. The decision has irked locals, motorists in particular, as traffic has been diverted via the Poo Market on the Mettupalayam Road and other small roads. The people allege that CCMC closed the 500-metre stretch without making prior announcements.
S Vivin Saravan, a social activist who lives in the area, told TNIE that the corporation has done nothing but mess up the whole city through improper planning, and shoddy work. He added that if officials are going to close a stretch of the main road to carry out any work, they must make the necessary arrangements for a detour and inform people well in advance to avoid confusion.
“But without giving any intimation, neither to the public nor police, CCMC officials closed the Sukrawarpettai road which forced the motorists to traverse through already crowded Poo Market Road that is completely encroached by the traders. Vehicles coming from the Marakkadai, Variety Hall, Oppanakara Street, and the RG Street Roads were diverted through a single road, creating a bottleneck. The officials have been closing down the roads at their own will and diverting the vehicles through a different road. As a result, the local commuters as well as travellers from other districts are unable to plan their journey and forced to take a long detour,” he added.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC commissioner M Prathap said, “The 24x7 drinking water project works in the Sukrawarpettai did not start all of a sudden, it has been going on for a long time. As few roads are very narrow and as the officials are currently carrying out the installation of feeder mains on the roads, we cannot take risks by allowing vehicle movement. So, we had to close it. However, the closure of the Sukrawarpettai road will be checked. I’ll investigate the matter with the concerned officials and instruct them to inform in prior about road closures.”
