Dug-up KNK Road keeps shoppers away

Residents say that the situation was worsening with every passing year. 

“The road was dug up over a month ago. We were told that the work was done by Chennai Metrowater department for an infrastructure project, but the wait never seems to end. Right at the beginning of KNK, a huge crater was dug up. This blocked the entrance and people had to use the Wallace Garden Road entrance. Now the work is over, but there is an open drain at the entrance of the road that is covered with a barricade. It is inconveniencing the commuters,” says Palaniappan M, a long-time resident of Nungambakkam. 

Some other residents say that they had to use other routes to reach their destinations. “I stay on Haddows Road. To go to my office in Royapettah, I would normally take a cab via KNK Road, Model School Road and Mount Road. Now the cabs refuse to enter the stretch. Model School Road in Thousand Lights is completely dug up and no cars can move on that stretch. This situation has been prevailing for weeks. I have to go through a longer route to avoid KNK Road all together and it takes more time,” says Madhavi C, a communications professional. 

Shopkeepers are also worried about the repercussions of the situation. “People come here to experience luxury. First, the problem was parking. As most of the outlets do not have enough vehicle parking space, people are forced to park elsewhere and walk back to the outlets. Now, walking on this stretch is a nightmare,” says the owner of a restaurant on the stretch adding “There are so many options available now that people might as well go to some branches elsewhere to avoid hassle.” 

When contacted, a senior Corporation official, said, “The work on re-laying Nungambakkam High Road has already started and efforts are on to make Khader Nawaz Khan Road a better stretch for pedestrians within a week.”