TIRUCHY: At a time when the Tiruchy-Karur national highway is being regarded an accident-prone stretch due to the lack of a median for a particular length, water logging in the portion near Allur village in the event of rains poses further threat to vehicle users, complain activists.
Commuters urge the authorities concerned for necessary action to ensure rainwater on the stretch drains properly. Of the 79-kilometre-long NH, an 11-km portion connecting Chathiram bus stand with Thindukarai falls under the state highways department, while the remaining 68 km is maintained by the National Highways Authority (NHAI).
Of this, only 46 km is a four-lane road while the remaining 22 km is a two-lane stretch without a median. Allur falls along this narrow two-lane section, which makes the risk of accidents much higher when the road is flooded, commuters said. At Allur, there is a curved stretch of the highway where rainwater stagnates during the monsoon, said P Ayyarappan, coordinator of the Road User Welfare Committee, Tiruchy.
“As water stagnates up to a height of about one foot, two-wheeler riders are forced to wade through the stagnant water amidst fast-moving heavy vehicles. Many riders have skid, raising serious concerns about safety. Whenever it rains, water accumulates on the road due to the absence of a proper drainage system.
“Despite repeated complaints to the Tiruchy West Division of the state highways department over the past four years, no action has been taken to resolve the problem,” Ayyarappan alleged. When enquired, officials assured that steps will be taken to upgrade the stretch so that water drains once rain stops.