These images were taken on May 25, 2025, before the spell of rains in more recent days, when the road would have looked and felt even more broken.
| Photo Credit: PRINCE FREDERICK

Veerathamman Koil Street which straddles Jalladianpet and Perumbakkam is persistently unmotorable, the road languishing in a state of brokenness due to successive waves of Chennai Metrowater-related work — installation of sewage lines first and then drinking water pipelines. And there is ongoing work.

John Paul, a resident of Casagrand Tranquil, points out that ever since his family moved into the community — which was one and half years ago — the road has been in this state, more muddy than bitumen-topped.

M. Mani, president, Casagrand Tranquil Owners Association, understands the limits to what could be done.

“As the work is still progressing, we cannot expect a proper bitumen-topped road right now; but it should be possible to level the road and make it reasonably motorable,” says Mani.

“We have made a representation about this to elected representatives, and are still waiting for some redemptive work to be carried out.”

Mani points out that the road falls in ward 191, Zone 14 of Greater Chennai Corporation.

A raft of gated communities are located on this road, and Mani notes the collective sigh of despair at the state of the road comes from Ram Sarovar Apartments, Isha Signature Villa, Ozone Green Apartments and India Bulls Apartments.

Mani also draws attention to the presence of St. John’s Public School on the street, and when the new academic year begins, students and parents would be put to great inconvenience navigating this street.

Veerathamman Koil Street is part of a grid of roads that provide connectivity between the IT Corridor and Tambaram Velachery Main Road. Software professionals travelling from sleeper towns to the IT Corridor take this road.

With Metro Rail work chug-chugging through Perumbakkam Main road, Veerathaman Koil Street has emerged even more of a significant link road between those heading to parts of Velachery Main Road, particularly Jalladianpet and Pallikaranai from Perumbakkam, and in the light of this new reality, the road should not be allowed to continue in this tumbledown situation. Mani observes that as it is, Metro Rail work places immense stress on the motoring population and it has to be endured for the sake of necessary development.

And poorly managed interior roads only add to what has to be endured.