Potholes and stones are the most common things that people have been encountering on roads since the rains battered Chennai. The Kilpauk Garden Road, according to people who commute through the road frequently, has become worse since the rains.
“The condition is no different in other roads in the area too. Some of the other roads in the area were relaid just a month or two before the rains began. It’s been a month since the rains and the relaid roads have now shown more damage while the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has done some kind of patchwork on the roads. It’s not enough,” said K. Kumar, an auto driver.
The road houses the Kilpauk Cemetery, C.S.I Redemeer’s Church and a hospital apart from being a residential area with a lot of shops catering to plant lovers. Over 10,000 vehicles ply daily on the road, which connects to Purasawalkam and Nungambakkam. People also travel to reach the various schools on the stretch.
“The road was last relaid about two years ago. Since then, no other improvements have been made. It was not in great condition but at least there were no potholes every two metres to dodge. It causes damage to my vehicle,” said A. Baburaj, a mechanic who has a shop on the street for the last 35 years.
Kilapuk Garden Road has lost its sidewalks to years of neglect and to various other establishments, though there are a few stretches where pedestrians can still use it most of the stretch which narrows at the signal has given way to shops.
“In the last few months, it has become difficult to travel through the road. As a two-wheeler rider, when a car is in front, it’s difficult to gauge where the potholes might be… Experiencing this daily will definitely damage my vehicle and only increase my expenses,” said Nandhini R., a resident.
In December, the GCC had made a plan to resume the relaying of about 2,200 roads in January and to complete the work in a month as the work was halted due to monsoon season.
Councillor for Ward 101 Matilda Govindraj said, “The road will be laid in a month. The tenders have been completed and the Corporation will begin relaying roads soon.”
