TIRUCHY: Following a TNIE report on March 9 on the pile-up of vehicles around police stations in Tiruchy city, the Srirangam police shifted more than 200 of them to vacant places in and around their residential quarters.
This action has made the issue complicated as about 200 such case-related and abandoned vehicles were already dumped around the police quarters housing 40 families.
Families here say the large number of damaged and rusting vehicles hamper their smooth movement and pose safety risks. It was over a year ago the Srirangam police brought more than 200 vehicles caught up in litigation or abandoned by owners.
Though it was intended to address space issues at the station, it has created a myriad of issues for the residents of police quarters. Two weeks ago, the police dumped over 200 vehicles, including two-wheelers, cars, and even a JCB, around the quarters.
The area has become so cramped with the pile-up of 400-odd vehicles that the residents have to make way through them. Children, especially, are at risk as they are now forced to play in narrow spaces or near parked vehicles. Also, motorists and neighbours are struggling to cross the road here due to the heavy vehicles among the parked ones.
Speaking to TNIE, a police officer who has been staying in the quarters for over a decade, said, “The whole area is cramped, and it feels like we are living in a parking lot, not a residential area. It is difficult to even walk to our homes. Many of the vehicles parked here are rusted and pose additional risks. Mosquitoes breed and snakes lurk in unused vehicles.”
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said, “There is no proper boundary wall, and we don’t know who is responsible if the vehicles are stolen. We raised our concerns with the station head, but he responded aggressively".
"We are worried about fire hazards under the scorching sun, especially with so many rusted and old vehicles parked here. No safety measures have been put in place to protect us.” When contacted, Srirangam police inspector G Thiruvanantham told TNIE,
“We shifted the vehicles to the police quarters to clear the premises of the police station. There is no issue for residents living in the quarters because we kept the vehicles in an empty space in the quarters and even the vehicles parked outside do not pose any issue.”