COIMBATORE: Traders and shopkeepers along Cross Cut Road in Gandhipuram have expressed strong resentment over the authorities' failure to restore the damaged road, even months after pipeline installation works were completed under the 24x7 water supply project.
The road was dug up several months ago as part of the project executed by private firm Suez. However, despite the completion of the pipeline installation, the damaged stretch continues to remain in poor condition, causing considerable inconvenience to traders, customers and motorists.
The traders said they had earlier urged the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to either postpone the excavation work until after the Deepavali shopping season or ensure that the entire work, including road restoration, was completed before the festival. However, their requests were allegedly ignored, leaving them to deal with the consequences during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.
"The Deepavali season is crucial for businesses in Gandhipuram, as a large number of customers visit the area for shopping. We had clearly informed the officials about the difficulties that digging up the road would cause. But nobody paid heed to our concerns. Even after completing the pipeline work, they have failed to restore the road," said S Ravichandran, a trader on Cross Cut Road.
Another shopkeeper said the damaged stretch had affected the movement of customers and vehicles, creating difficulties for businesses.
"We depend on the festive season to improve our sales. Instead of providing a proper road, the authorities have left us struggling with dust, uneven surfaces and poor access to shops. Customers are finding it difficult to reach our establishments, and this has affected our trade," he said.
With more than three months having passed since the road was excavated and the pipeline work completed, traders have questioned the delay in taking up restoration work. They have also urged the authorities to complete the repairs without further delay.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said the restoration work had been deferred to avoid disrupting the Deepavali festival shopping season.
"As we didn't want to hinder the busy Deepavali festival shopping season, the road restoration work wasn't taken up. It would take around a month for the officials to restore the road completely. The state highways department has gone for tender and will start work soon after the festival," he said.
He added that temporary measures had been taken to ease the inconvenience. "In the meantime, as a temporary measure, we have put a layer of wet mix on the damaged stretch and have carried out patchworks," he said.
