Chennai: For more than a decade, residents of CIT Colony in Mylapore have been grappling with broken and uneven pavements. Pedestrians said repeated complaints about poor maintenance to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have not yielded any action.Locals say the footpaths were last relaid during the AIADMK regime in 2011. “They were laid with concrete and granite almost overnight in the locality. Concrete was poured around the trees without providing breathing space. The work was not done properly; it was a hurried project,” said Ramdas Naik, secretary of the CIT colony residents welfare association. “All pavements are in poor condition and unusable.,” he added.With many stretches uneven and encroached upon by debris and parked vehicles, there is not enough space for pedestrians to walk. Despite repeated complaints, no concrete steps were taken, leaving locals frustrated and demanding immediate action. “There broken pavement stones on the road, poses risk to commuters and residents. During monsoon, the situation worsens. Civic authorities should take steps to relay the footpaths in compliance with proper design standards, including leaving adequate space around trees and provision for stormwater drains,” said T Mathiazhagan, another resident.Teynampet zonal officer P Banukumar said, “Since the footpaths were maintained well, there was no requirement to re-lay them in the past decade. However, recent damage was noticed, and steps have been taken to re-lay them. Work on a few interior streets is under way while other streets will be repaired by May.”
