Dr. Dinesh
The condition of Dairy Farm road in Sri Vijaya Puram, particularly the stretch from the ANIIDCO Milk Plant through Vijay Baugh to Junglighat, has remained deplorable for over six months, posing serious safety and mobility concerns for daily commuters.
An excavation carried out near the A & N Cooperative Bank at Dairy Farm, reportedly undertaken on a war footing using heavy excavator machinery in the middle of the road, was left inadequately restored. The trench was merely filled with loose earth, without proper compaction or resurfacing. For several months, the site was marked by makeshift barricades using coal tar drums and ribbons.
With the onset of the monsoon, rainwater flowed along the poorly filled trench, leading to cracks and the formation of a continuous groove running along the centre of the road up to the Dairy Farm junction. Although the temporary barricades have since been removed, no permanent repair has been undertaken. The damaged strip has effectively turned into a hazardous divider, significantly narrowing the carriageway.
When vehicles are parked on either side of the road, a common occurrence in this busy stretch, the usable width becomes dangerously narrow, leaving motorists with little room to manoeuvre and pedestrians with virtually no safe walking space. The risk to pedestrians increases manifold under such conditions, and near-miss incidents are reportedly frequent.
Auto-rickshaws often avoid the stretch altogether, and those that do ply are forced to drive on the extreme right side of the road to avoid the central groove, further increasing the risk of collisions. Photograph taken yesterday from the site speak more than words, clearly showing vehicles deviating from their lane due to the damaged surface.
Vehicles are sustaining repeated damage, and a small and medium crater near a speed breaker has resulted in unsuspecting drivers hitting the depression, causing the underbody of vehicles to scrape the road, particularly during night hours and periods of low visibility.
The issue was earlier reported in The Phoenix Post, about a couple of months back, but no corrective action appears to have followed. What initially seemed like a minor defect that could have been rectified at minimal cost has now escalated into extensive damage, with repair costs reportedly running into several lakhs. This stands as a stark example of the consequences of delayed intervention and lack of proper supervision.
The entire stretch from the ANIIDCO Milk Plant through Vijay Baugh to Junglighat urgently requires proper resurfacing. Timely attention is essential to restore road safety, reduce commuter hardship, and prevent further escalation of public expenditure.
