Chennai Citizen Connect: Within a week of relaying, Oil Mills Road in Iyyappanthangal damaged

CHENNAI: Within a week of relaying, the Oil Mills Road in Iyyappanthangal has suffered extensive damage, leaving residents and commuters frustrated as they are left with no other option but to navigate a deteriorated stretch once again.

“The road had been in poor condition since the October rains. After repeatedly raising complaints with the panchayat, the road was finally relaid on November 28. But when I visited today, it was already completely damaged. The quality of the work is highly questionable. Proper milling and full repairs are necessary before re-laying any road. Instead, in many cases, they fill the damaged portions and leave the rest as it is, resulting in a waste of public money,” said Citizen Senthil, a resident.

In some stretches, the road had been cut and relaid using cement alone, he noted, describing it as an incorrect method of road relaying. “Officials carry out patchwork without following the correct procedure. We expect roads to last at least a year.

However, even small potholes are often ignored until they develop into large craters, which not only increases the cost of repair but also causes significant inconvenience to residents. Officials repeatedly cite fund shortages, yet money is being wasted through such careless work,” he highlighted.

An official from the Iyyappanthangal village panchayat said the newly relaid road was damaged because rainwater stagnated for several days. “The roads were relaid, but due to the rains, water remained on the surface for a long duration and caused damage. We used tar for relaying earlier, and in the coming days, we plan to repair the road using a combination of tar and cement, which will provide better durability,” the official said.