Mud slide, pothole on diversion road leads to the death of food delivery executive

CHENNAI

A bad judgement on the part of a trailer driver and a mud slide and a large pothole in the recent rain on a road meant to divert traffic in Tiruvottiyur led to the death of a food delivery executive on Saturday.

The incident, according to the Avadi police sources, happened in the afternoon, and Mohammed Ali, 29, a part-time food delivery executive, was knocked down as he rode on the left side of the trailer in the turning and died on the spot at the junction of Manali Express Road and Buckingham Canal Road.

“It was laid as a temporary road but vehicles continue to use it. It has been over five years since it was laid and now the surface is worn out at places. The mud on the slope has run off in the rain and needs to be repaired. The rest of the road too is in a bad shape. It is only a mud road with no lighting. But people use it as a shortcut to Manali,” an official said.

The road was laid by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as a diversion for the construction of a bridge on Manali Express Road. The incident happened at Jothi Nagar. “The NHAI has already taken up repair work on the road. Though we are using wet mix macadam, it is not bonding with the surface due to the rain. We have done temporary repairs. Work order has been issued for proper repairs, and this will be done this week,” says a source in the NHAI.

Tiruvottiyur ward 4 Councillor R. Jayaraman said steps should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The temporary road along the Buckingham Canal should be laid properly considering the number of vehicles using it. Lighting should also be provided. It is at present filled with slush, he charged.

Mr. Jayaraman also urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to provide an ex-gratia to the family of the victim. “It has been only three months since he was married. The NHAI should also be held responsible, and they should also provide some kind of compensation since they collect toll on the Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project road,” he demanded.