Many interior roads in and around Purasawalkam are far from motorable. It has become an everyday struggle for road users who ply the damaged lanes that have not been repaired or relaid for several years. Some streets that were dug up for civic works are yet to be restored.
Take, for instance, Sundaram Lane, that motorists and auto drivers take to reach Brick Kiln Road from Purasawalkam, to avoid a long one-way route. A bumpy ride throughout, Sundaram Lane has not been repaired or relaid for at least a decade, residents and shopkeepers say. “The lane is filled with potholes. The condition of the stretch worsens with rain,” said Durai Vel, a shopkeeper. A resident added that the lane gets waterlogged after a short spell of rain. “We have complained to authorities, but nobody seems to care,” he said.
Similar is the condition ofstretches such as Sundaram Street, Grama Street, Parthasarathy Street, Kandappa Street and Murugappa Street. A Chennai Corporation official said there was a proposal to repair Sundaram Lane. “However, Metrowater is planning to set up a pumping station on Sundaram Street, for which it will up take up sewer line works. So we will have to wait for the work to be taken up in order to re-lay the stretch,” he said.