Encroachers eat into pavements
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Royapuram, one of the core and oldest parts of erstwhile Madrasapattinam, is deprived of its walking space, and residents’ behaviour of eating into the roadside space has made matters worse.
The corporation has cleared footpath encroachments along Tiruvottiyur high road, but encroachers are back in action with vigour, leaving platforms to measure less than one-and-a-half foot.
In several stretches of TH road, which is one of the thoroughfares that bifurcates the Royapuram constituency, the platforms are either encroached upon, damaged or missing.
“The town planning authorities in our area only thought of motorists and not those who walk, so pavements never existed in our locality and almost all the pedestrians, using TH road, walk on the road,” said Mr M. Vijaya Kumar, a resident of Washermenpet.
“Most of the platforms in Old Washermenpet are encroached upon by electricity board transformers and junction boxes. These structures not only pose danger during the monsoon but also prevent the public from using the platforms,” said Mr S. Saravavan, a bank employee residing in Mint.
Unlike south Chennai, north Chennai is a mix of commercial and residential neighbourhoods and congestion, accompanied by encroachments, has been a major problem for the civic body since the early ‘90s, opined a local corporation official.
The civic body has been clearing encroachments at least once in six months and now, with the corporation planning to redesign a few roads, new platforms are expected and the situation would certainly improve, the official exuded confidence.
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