TIRUNELVELI
The sharp welcome showers that lashed Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai for a while on Sunday evening has badly eroded the soil which had been heaped to strengthen the recently widened four-lane between Palayamkottai Central Prison and Konganthaanpaarai intersection at the cost of ₹ 36 crore at several places.
The reason is that the soil was lifted from the roadside itself for the widening and strengthening instead of transporting it from some other place after getting proper permission. After widening the road, blue metal was spread and the soil was lifted again from the roadside to strengthen the blue metal.
As the busy narrow stretch between four-lane flyover at Konganthaanpaarai intersection beyond Tuckerammalpuram and Vaeinthaankulam new-bus stand became a ‘danger zone’ owing to accidents caused by speeding vehicles, particularly the omni buses zooming past after 7 p.m., it was decided to widen this 7-km-long stretch between Palayamkottai Central Prison and Konganthaanpaarai intersection into a four-lane thoroughfare with median like the expressways to avert head-on collisions.
The project got sanctioned and ₹ 3.50 crore was released in the first phase to widen the road between the new bus-stand and INS Kattabomman’s Receiving Station. After this stretch was widened, accident rate along this stretch came down drastically with the concrete median averting the mishaps.
Now, the second phase of the project has almost been completed between INS Kattabomman’s Receiving Station and Kongaanthanpaarai intersection beyond Tuckerammalpuram. Besides widening the existing two-lane into four-lane, seven culverts situated on this stretch are also being constructed afresh.
Since the excavation caused a deep trench so close to the road being widened, an unexpected drizzle in June last caused puddles on several spots along this stretch even as the work was started. Now, the road is ready for formal commissioning.
As sharp showers lashed several parts of Palayamkottai on Sunday evening, the rainwater collected on the road flowed towards the trench to badly erode the soil and to pose a serious threat to the road.
Though areas such as NGO Colony intersection, INS Kattabomman Receiving Station, Government College of Engineering, Teachers’ Colony, Tuckerammalpuram and Konganthaanpaarai intersection, through which the 4-lane passes through, did not experience very sharp showers as it lashed VOC Ground, Murugankurichi and Collectorate areas, the erosion was very severe. Hence, it is clear that the road will be washed away in case of an overnight downpour, especially during the northeast monsoon to commence within another four weeks or so.
When the soil was lifted from the roadside itself instead of transporting it from other places after getting due permission, the public, especially members of residents’ welfare associations, alerted the Department of Highways officials. However, no action was taken to stop it for obvious reasons. Ultimately, the newly widened road, through which the officials are going to the poll-bound Nanguneri every day, may be washed away if some credible action is not taken immediately, the residents complain.
“However, Department of Highways officials are not bothered about it, it seems... Though we called the office this morning and conveyed this pathetic situation, no official inspected it till evening,” said a faculty member of Government College of Engineering said.