CHENNAI: Residents of Anna Nagar have raised concerns after the Sixth Avenue was re-laid without removing parked vehicles, leaving sections of the road unfinished.
According to residents, repeated complaints had been made to officials to re-lay the damaged road. However, when the work was finally taken up, it was carried out with vehicles parked along the stretch, resulting in patchy work. Residents said this was not an isolated instance, with similar work reportedly carried out in other locations as well.
“We have been complaining for a long time as roads in Anna Nagar were dug up and left unattended. Now, in what appears to be a hurry, the road has been re-laid without moving the vehicles, which should have been cleared. The work was completed within a couple of days, but not realising that the job done was far from perfect,” said Sandhya Vedullapalli, a resident.
She recalled a similar issue on her street a few months ago, though the circumstances were different then. “Metro Water had dug a pit which required closure, and the road was later relaid properly. In this case, it appears to be sheer lethargy or negligence on the part of officials,” she said.
Anna Nagar residents said this was not an isolated instance, with similar incomplete work done at other locations as well.
Questioning the quality of work, she added that a substantial amount of public money was being spent on relaying roads. “What is the purpose of spending so much if the work is incomplete?” she asked.
Residents also pointed out that there have been earlier reports from several parts of the city where the Greater Chennai Corporation had re-laid roads without ensuring that parked vehicles were removed.
When contacted, an elected representative associated with the Corporation said the road would be re-laid again soon.