Hassle to Commute in Tondiarpet

Two main roads: TH road and Suriya Narayana Street in Tondiarpet is blocked because of Metro Rail work and to facilitate Rain Water Harvesting.

In Thiruvottiyur High road for almost two years metro rail work has been happening and so there is a constant change of routes along this road. Now that the construction has hit the final stage more diversions for those who commute along this road. The traffic police have informed that the road along with Apollo hospital to Kamarajar street will be blocked this week and the commuters will have to use Senniamman Koil street. The buses will also use the same route and so there will be more traffic in this area than before. The police say that it is a precautious measure due to the construction of Metro Station, this diversion is happening.

The road adjacent to this is Surya Narayana Street. For the past one month the turning from Jeevarathnam to Surya Narayanan street is blocked as there is rainwater harvesting work going on for the past weeks. The police say that the work will be over within a week. There are also holes being dug up in the middle of the road due to this.

The commuters feel that there is heavy traffic because of this. “I have to spend more than 20 minutes just to move from Tondiarpet to Royapuram because of these diversions,” says Jagadeesh, a daily commuter through these roads.

Though this hassle will change in few weeks once rainwater harvesting work is over and the metro rail construction is done with the road are in bad condition with dunes and potholes so it must be taken care of by the Chennai Corporation.

“I just give those who want what people leave here” says the person in charge of community fridge

In front of the new zonal office of Tondiarpet that is under construction there is a small shelter under which you would find the community a fridge which is provided by the North Chennai Senior Citizens Welfare association (NSWA) under the name Pagirindhu Unn.

Jyothi Ramalingam, A retired bank staff takes care of the community fridge under their association. “I just give those who want what people leave here,” says Jyothi Ramalingam.

Kathirvel, a local resident of the area says “I always feel bad when I throw away excess food. I had a doubt if people would accept the food if I give it to them directly, so I throw it. This community fridge is a great initiative. For the last week, I have been donating excess food,”

A local Bakery owner is a daily contributor to the fridge. The owner says “I leave some pieces of bun daily in this fridge and it is a small contribution that I could do to the community and those in need”.

“The food that is kept here is taken by those who want them within an hour but there are many people who leave their clothes here and it keeps accumulating” says the person who is in charge of the community fridge, Jyothi Ramalingam. So, the members of NSWA offers the clothes that are accumulated to the orphanages in the nearby areas but there are also people who take the clothes they want from here.

Jyothi Ramalingam also maintains a register in which he enters the names of those who contribute to the community fridge regularly. This is the only community fridge in Chennai which has a person who has a person who is in charge of the community fridge.

Merchants get comfy under Metro Rail Shade

- Tharini M

The merchants of Tondiarpet market occupy the whole of the left side of Thiruvottiyur High Road because of Metro Rail work.

The Metro rail work as a part of Phase-1 extension in Washermenpet, Tondiarpet, Thiruvottiyur till WIMCO Nagar of North Chennai was started in 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2020. Due to this construction work many parts of Thiruvottiyur High road or TH road is blocked and there are diversions.

About 2 months ago they started the construction of a Tondiarpet station in this New Washermenpet area. Due to this work, the road is blocked on one side and vehicles are only allowed to travel from Thiruvottiyur towards Royapuram for about half a kilometre. A morning market is present in this location which functions till afternoon. Because of the new diversion and change of this route to one way the merchants of this market have occupied the entire lift side of this main road and set up their shops under the Metro Rail line which runs overhead.

“It’s more comfortable for us to set up shops under the metro rail construction as it provides shade for us from the sun,” says Selva, a merchant who sells dresses. They also say that the police sometimes ask them to move their shops if there is too much traffic but other times they don’t mind. Even the buses which come this way takes a turn to the other side of the road for about 10 foot where this market is set up. The merchants also say that many people now come to their shop because there is also more parking space below the Metro Rail track.

The merchants are enjoying this moment till it lasts as things will be back to normal in June 2020 when the construction of Metro Rail phase - 1 extension till WIMCO Nagar is expected to get over.