COIMBATORE: Residents and social activists have criticised the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) for allegedly carrying out substandard concrete road works on narrow streets across the city, claiming that the newly-laid roads have resulted in water stagnation and inconvenience to the public.
Residents of UTG Lane, off Edayar Street, complained that the civic body laid a concrete road overnight without prior intimation to the public. They alleged that the road was constructed without providing the required gradient or slope, preventing rainwater and wastewater from draining naturally. As a result, water remains stagnant on several patches across the stretch, forcing pedestrians and motorists to wade through waterlogged portions every day. Residents said the stagnant water has also raised concerns over mosquito breeding and unhygienic conditions.
"The road looks new, but there is no proper slope for water to flow. Even after a brief spell of rain or when households discharge water, it collects on the road and remains there for hours. We are the ones suffering every day," said D Vinodh, a resident of UTG Lane.
Sujatha Ramkumar, another resident, said the work was carried out without consulting the residents. "The road was laid overnight, and we were not informed in advance. Had the officials interacted with residents, they could have easily identified the drainage issues before completing the work," she said.
Social activist S Vivin Saravan alleged that similar complaints have surfaced from several interior roads in the city where concrete roads were laid without adhering to engineering standards. "Concrete roads should be constructed with proper gradients to ensure smooth drainage. Otherwise, public money is wasted and residents continue to face avoidable hardships," he said.
Residents have urged the CCMC to inspect the road at the earliest, rectify the faulty patches and ensure that future road works are executed only after proper planning and supervision. They also appealed to the civic body to involve residents before undertaking infrastructure works in densely-populated neighbourhoods.
A senior CCMC official told TNIE that they will inspect the road and sort out the issues as soon as possible.
