Her road, her way

CHENNAI: As the northeast monsoon arrived earlier than expected this year, the city was caught unprepared. Residents, pedestrians and commuters struggled in knee-deep water, and the city roads everywhere were hammered with potholes and loose electrical wires...except one road in Thiruvanmiyur, thanks to a few residents headed by a woman of indomitable will.

Meet Geeta Padmanabhan, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, whose perseverance in redesigning and setting up a comprehensive storm water drain network, footpath and shifting a transformer to a safer place, helped keep Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar Main Road free from flooding and other crisis. It’s a one kilometer stretch which connects Kalakshetra Road and MG Road.

“I did not get the work done in a day’s time. I have been working on this since 2012. I walk a lot and not having a proper platform on the road was an issue. I needed a footpath and that’s how it all started,” narrates Geeta, a freelance journalist.

The septuagenarian says she decided to counter the poor civic infrastructure in her road by taking charge herself. “The junction boxes were set up perpendicular on the platform. People had to walk around it. The storm water drain was designed in such a way that it snaked around these junction boxes. There was an old transformer which was blocking the footpath, surrounded by garbage.

Oh, it was hellish!” recalls Geeta. She began creating a blueprint and also maps of the road with help from a private party. Geeta, the former secretary of Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar Residents Welfare Association, says that the first few petitions were rejected by the officials. “I made three maps and the last two were made with the help of an architect couple from the area - Deviprasad and Kavitha Prasad. They designed the road and changed it according to the corporation plan,” she shares showing us detailed maps of the topography.

After several visits to the Ripon building, the work finally began in 2015. The footpath of the road which ran above the storm water drain was taken up by illegal ramps, manholes and, standing up against the owners of these ramps didn’t go too well, she says. “Ramps are not supposed to take up the road and it was against the rules. So, when the officials asked a few home owners to break them, they ganged up and abused me. But, it didn’t deter me. I went on to do what I had started and the ramps were successfully broken to lay the footpaths,” she says.

But before the work was completed, the 2015-rains lashed the city. “People blamed me for the flooding on the road. But I kept going. I was in touch with the concerned officials throughout and the work was completed after,” she beams as she walks us through the new footpath.

Pointing to a junction box which now stands horizontally parallel to a wall, she states, “It had to be moved to ensure smooth flow of water in the storm water drain. Similarly, I had a few more portions redone, cleaned of debris and silts.” The storm water drain is now well connected and flows to the macro drain, finally reaching the Buckingham Canal.

A transformer blocking the path was also shifted to a safer place and fenced. “There was garbage all around and a few rickety junction boxes around. Just think of the EB workers who have to work there in that condition. That was the main thrust of my argument,” she explains.

Today, the stretch has a well laid footpath running over a functioning storm water drain. Geeta has recently formed and registered her own association RMSM (Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar, Malaviya Avenue, Sivakamipuram, Marundeeswarar Nagar) Peoples Security and Welfare Association. “It should always be a joint action by the residents. Unfortunately in my case there were a few people in the neighbourhood who were against me. But, it’s the perseverance and the joint action of the residents and the corporation officials that has changed the face of the road,” she adds.

‘It was a team effort, not a one-man show’

Several residents of the area are not happy with Geeta getting all the credit. “All the residents worked together with the corporation. The road was made better not just because of one individual,” avers P Natarajan, president, Dr S Radhakrishnan Nagar Residents Welfare Association.

During the 2015 floods, residents of Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar main road were marooned. With the combined efforts of residents who doubled up as volunteers and, the corporation officials, Natarajan says that the problem was identified. “I can’t emphasise enough about how cooperative the officials where. There was flooding due to the non-link between the drain network, silts and other obstructions including underground cables,” he shares. “We (the residents) were there along with the officials and workers, day and night when the work was going on.”

Even new footpaths were laid and coordinator of the association, Dinakar Rao says that the association has been focused on maintaining it. “We are also happy that this road is an example of how collective efforts of residents can help in the upliftment of a place,” he opines.
Different departments worked together and Dinakar clarifies that the association was always in a ‘suggestive mode’ than in a ‘complaint mode’. “We are not here to complain but there are a lot of unsung volunteers here,” he adds.