Chennai: 15 minutes of chaos stuns Pulianthope High Road

CHENNAI: Tension and traffic gridlock gripped Pulianthope High Road on Tuesday afternoon after residents dumped tree branches left behind by conservancy workers onto the street near Grey Nagar.

The residents’ protest against conservancy workers’ failure to remove accumulated green waste despite multiple complaints from the area brought the traffic to a standstill for 15 minutes.

Ward 73 councillor Ambethvalavan alleged that the number of sanitation workers assigned to the ward was inadequate.

According to locals, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) workers had trimmed tree branches on both sides of the road near the Vinayagar Kovil in Grey Nagar, Pulianthope, and dumped them near the temple, a spot regularly used by residents to park light commercial vehicles.

A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Even after the conservancy inspector was informed, the branches remained uncleared since morning. Frustrated by the lack of response, a few people tossed the branches onto the busy road.”

Stranded in the scorching heat, commuters and motorists criticised the protest.

“Traffic was backed up for nearly a kilometre. Passengers in buses, cars, and on bikes suffered as there are no quick alternative routes to bypass this stretch,” said Kathirvel, a resident of Perambur.

Speaking to DT Next, Ambethvalavan said, “I instructed the officials concerned to clear the debris immediately. We have an acute shortage of cleanliness workers in our ward; only 28 of them are managing door-to-door collection and street-clearing operations across over 400 streets.”

Meanwhile, motorists’ hardships continue as Metro Water has dug up the road for underground pipeline installation. The ongoing works reduce the available carriageway on a route used by thousands daily, causing traffic congestion to worsen. Many motorists have urged the civic body to relay the road at the earliest to ease their commute.