Residents fume, due to lack of proper road .

Residents fume, due to lack of proper road .

-        P.Nigamanth

Commuters find it difficult to travel in this road

 

      A section of 12 buildings on Thangam Colony, 6th Avenue in Anna Nagar, in the city, encroached upon land belonging to TNHB, was razed by officials in the last quarter of 2018 for road widening works. However, there has been no improvement in this process.

                     The encroached buildings were demolished last August citing that the residents were occupying the land which was earlier bought by the TNHB (Tamil Nadu Housing Board) somewhere around the 1960’s.

                      When the encroachments were removed in August, based on a Supreme Court order, the residents of Thangam Colony were hopeful that they would get the road soon. The Corporation took over the land from the TNHB and began road laying works. However, there are speculations that one of the early settlers filed a petition again. Now, the road works have been stopped just before laying tar and the half-laid 350-metre stretch is filled with sand, giving rise to dust. “The entire road is covered in dust. Every time a vehicle passes through, the dust raises. It is difficult for me to stay in the shop for a long time due to this,” said Ashok Kumar, a shopkeeper near the stretch.

Picture taken on September,2018

                      “There was a bumpy, mud road earlier. We are happy that the authorities have initiated the process to lay the road. They should finish the work soon so that we can use the road,” said an auto-rickshaw driver. The pictures depict the situation from last September and how it is now. The only improvement is that the mud has been removed and foundation has been laid to widen the road.

                         According to a resident, It is to be mentioned that the residents were provided with an alternate plot in the same area, to facilitate their moving out. This was done in the late 1980’s but the then residents were also hesitant to move out and this has caused all the present-day problems. Still, the commuters and residents of Thangam colony are hopeful that they would get a proper, widened road.