COIMBATORE: Motorists and residents in the city struggle to navigate major roads that were dug up for the implementation of the 24x7 water supply project, with rains making the roads slushy and uneven.
The project, being executed by Suez Projects Limited on behalf of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) across 60 wards, involved extensive excavation along several important roads, including Avinashi Road, Trichy Road and Sathy Road. While some stretches have been temporarily restored, others continue to remain damaged.
The situation worsened following the recent spells of rain, with potholes and loose surfaces making commuting difficult for two-wheeler riders. Motorists urged the corporation to speed up the restoration work, pointing out that the damaged stretches pose a safety risk, especially during peak hours and at night.
"Every day we have to drive through these stretches, and the condition keeps getting worse after rain. Two-wheelers are particularly vulnerable because it is difficult to identify the depth of potholes when they are filled with water," said R Mithun, a motorist who regularly travels along the Avinashi Road.
Another commuter K V Rajasekar said the prolonged road damage was causing inconvenience to thousands of people. "The water supply project is important, but once the work is completed, the roads should be restored immediately. Leaving the roads like this for weeks is causing unnecessary hardship to the public," he said.
Activists have also questioned the delay in restoring the roads, particularly major arterial stretches that carry heavy traffic throughout the day.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said the corporation has earmarked `50 lakh for each of the five zones to undertake patchwork on damaged road surfaces. He said the corporation has released around Rs 40 crore to the state highways department for repairing damaged highway roads.
"Funds have been allocated for patchwork in all five zones and work orders have been issued for two zones. The entire 13-km stretch of Avinashi Road that was dug up for the water supply project will also be restored at the earliest. The highways department will be going for tender on October 7 and will start the work soon," the commissioner added.
