Many works have been done in Madurai under the Smart Cities Mission of the Central Government.
On one hand, these projects – be it the refurbishment of the Periyar bus stand or the multi-level parking, Masi roads and the vicinity of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple – give some hope to the city residents that Madurai will soon figure in the list of top cities. . Notch infrastructure. On the other hand, unreasonable delay in execution of every project has led to dug up roads, traffic diversion, pollution and other troubles to the people. People suffered patiently without complaint, with the hope that they would soon reap the benefits.
But the unfinished business across the city stands as a silent witness to the slow pace of each project. This becomes more evident during this festive season when the entire Madurai is on a shopping spree after being loosened for so long following the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.
Among all the projects, smart city or otherwise, the elevated corridor on New Natham Road was the most talked about. Just when it seemed like it was going fast, the death of a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh due to an accident in August hired Spanner. Mechanical failure of the hydraulic jack has been alleged. An inquiry has been ordered and work has been suspended on the entire 7.3-km-long elevated corridor project, which connects the Indian Oil roundabout in the city with Chettikulam on the outskirts, via ramps between Narayanapuram and Tiruppalai.
The project, which started in November 2018, was to be completed in 24 months. However, the delay was earlier attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the migrant workers left for home since March 2020. Now, but for a small part on the city side, the entire road under the elevated corridor is in dilapidated condition.
Near Mall Pale Mail
Work on the elevated corridor’s take-off point near Vishal D Mall on Gokhale Road has reduced the carriage space to such a degree that vehicles have to queue in two rows and wait for their turn to pass through the narrow space. Is. It takes 15 minutes to exit the mess during peak hours.
As a result of the traffic jams, residents of Narayanapuram, Iyer Bungalow and Tirupalai have to struggle hard to take cabs or autorickshaws as the drivers are not ready to bear this ordeal. And it doesn’t make business sense to them.
A corporation official said pipelines and sewage lines have been damaged on the elevated corridor section.
When contacted, an official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said Hindu That they have built link roads near Chettikulam and Umachikulam junctions, and 70% of the work is over. Roads could not be laid near a small bridge towards Naganakulam and some other places. “We will ensure that the roads are repaired before the rains start. Debris removal work continues. We hope to resume work after Diwali.