Coimbatore corporation allows road digging amid rain, motorists irked

COIMBATORE:  Residents of North Zone slammed Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) for digging up roads amid rains, turning them into a quicksand-like pathway. The Sanganoor - Nallampalayam Road at ward 18 is one of the vital stretches in the city and the Suez Project Private Limited has been carrying out pipeline works on the road for several weeks. The road was dug at numerous spots and
was left unattended by the officials, making it severely dilapidated.

D Manoharan, a trader from the Sangralinganar Road said, “Despite the heavy downpour across the city, the civic body continues to dig the roads and turn them into deathtraps for the people. Can’t they wait till the next month? Several motorists who got stuck in the slush lost control of their vehicles and sustained injuries.”

North Zone Chairperson V Kathirvelu told TNIE that the Suez officials were given a month to complete all work on the road. However, later they were instructed to finish the work before the allotted time to clear the pending bills and that is why they are carrying on with the work despite the rains. “A fund of  `96 lakh has already been allotted for a 5-metre wide new road, he added.

Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said a new asphalt road has been sanctioned for the Sanganoor - Nallampalayam Road and the civic body is waiting for the Suez officials to complete their works to go ahead with the road works.

“Some will ask to stop the digging works due to the rainy season while others demand to fix the damages immediately by paving a new road. But in order to pave a new road, all the pipeline installation works should be finished by the Suez on the stretch. We have instructed the Suez to pacify the works which are expected to be completed in the next 10 to 15 days. Once completed, we shall start the road works immediately and finish laying it in 2 weeks,” he added.