According to residents, many roads relaid before the pandemic were of subpar quality, and quickly deteriorated to their current sorry state.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Walking on the roads of Chromepet is no easy feat, say residents, let alone driving through them. Visiting both its thoroughfares and interior roads – such as Purusothaman Nagar, Old Hasthinapuram Main Road, Nemilichery High Road, Jain Nagar-AGS colony stretch– it is clear that they have been riddled with cuts and potholes for a long time.

“Pachayappa Nagar near Abhirami Thirumana Koodam is practically an accident zone because of the poor condition of the road,” says S.M. Govindarajan, president of the United Federation of Residents’ Welfare Association.

“I have witnessed several bikers skid on that stretch. Moreover, we do not have a chairman for Zone 3 anymore. It feels like these neighbourhoods have been left to fend for themselves,” he said.

The Old Hasthinapuram Main road, also in Zone 3, paints a grim picture. According to residents, many roads relaid before the pandemic were of subpar quality, and quickly deteriorated to their current sorry state. “All our repeated requests are about laying roads that can withstand a spell of rain,” said Prabhakar, a resident of Chitlapakkam who often commutes via Old Hasthinapuram main road for work. “Instead, we are left with stretches riddled with speed breakers, which need correction, even on smaller roads. For our senior citizens and the children attending nearby schools, these roads are backbreaking,” Mr. Prabhakar added.

The younger crowd too, had taken their concerns to Reddit, calling the streets in Chromepet “nightmare roads” in their lengthy discussions on the same. “It is not just about patching the surface. We need roads that last; not ones that wear off within six months. Now that monsoon will arrive in a couple of months, the civic body’s utmost concern should be the quality of roads,” says senior social activist Santhanam V.

“For municipal roads, the government has sanctioned 140 crores. When compared to the funds received from 2021 to 2023, we got a huge sum for laying the roads this year alone. All the roads have been already tendered out,” said Tambaram Corporation commissioner S. Balachander, when contacted.

“We have given work orders this week. Within two months, all the damaged roads will be repaired and restored,” Mr. Balachander said.