Model footpath, but same old problem

Chennai: The ‘model’ footpath under construction on Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar Main Road in Adyar has hit its first hurdle – encroachments in the form of ramps which have popped up.

The Rs 2 crore footpath sanctioned by Chennai corporation is unique in that it attempts to create a 700 m long uninterrupted space for walking. A private contractor, who was given the project by the civic body, started work on the footpath earlier this month.

However, there are issues bothering the project’s completion and chief among them is the presence of many illegal ramps. The ramps, built by home owners, extend on to the walking area of the pavement and thus force residents to walk on the road.

To aid the construction, the contractor had knocked down the ramps of a few houses in a portion of the stretch, where work is currently underway. As reported by DC earlier, this move had attracted the ire of home owners, a few of whom had threatened the on-site supervisor of legal consequences too.

One of the residents has now rebuilt the ramp demolished by the contractor and it extends again on to the new footpath coming up. But the contractor has expressed unwillingness to demolish the illegal construction. “The contractor is well within his rights to do it as it is encroaching on his project,” said P Geetha, a resident.

On Saturday, a group of auto rickshaw drivers damaged a wheel barrow used by the contractor, after obstructing to the construction of a table top speed breaker. Auto drivers in the locality picked up a fight with the site supervisors against speed-breaker. A police patrol team had to be called in to defuse the situation, as per residents’ accounts.