The recent spell of heavy rains in Puducherry has left the city’s civic infrastructure battered and once again exposed the poor condition of roads. Most of the arterial roads in the city are riddled with yawning potholes and worn-out eroded carriageways due to waterlogging.
Commuters across the city have been facing a tough time driving with the outer bitumen layer on roads damaged at several places. Rains have also caused extensive damage to the roads on the flyovers on 100-feet Road and the Railway Over Bridge at Arumparthapuram.
Be it the roads developed by the Public Works Department or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the situation remains the same. The authorities have not taken up any road repair work. According to R. Velmurugan, a resident, “Most of the roads are dotted with uneven and bumpy surfaces at several places. In the absence of a properly-designed strategy, the re-carpeting is taken up in a haphazard manner with just filling of cement to cover potholes and cracks on the roads.”
The arterial Cuddalore Road used by Ministers and elected representatives from the outlying region of Karaikal to reach the Legislative Assembly, is one of the ill-maintained stretches in the city. The 45-feet Road and Vazhudavur Road are among the other badly damaged stretches. Damage caused by digging up the roads for laying pipelines and wear and tear have led to deterioration of the road surface. The Villupuram Road too has its share of potholes. Driving at night especially near the Nellithope signal has become risky because of ditches at intervals.
“Damaged roads have also increased the maintenance costs of vehicles, especially two-wheelers and autorickshaws. The absence of streetlights on most stretches have only compounded the hardships faced by residents,” says Kalai, an autorickshaw driver.
“Even when it rains for a couple of hours, it becomes very difficult for anyone to drive. Apart from bad roads, it is the delay in re-carpeting them that causes inconvenience to residents. Though funds have been allocated, the work has not been completed,” said Gayathri Srikanth, founder of Iraivi, a women’s forum.
“The plight of residents in Boomianpet and Paavanar Nagar is even worse. It is a low-level area and the overflowing rain water from Indira Gandhi Square stagnate in the area. During every monsoon, roads in the locality get worn out and the authorities are not bothered to repair the roads,” says Arasu Kumar, an entrepreneur.