Smart road for residents in Salem remains a dream as work continues for eight months

Salem The residents of Jothi Talkies Main Road were happy after they came to know that they were goi

The residents of Jothi Talkies Main Road were happy after they came to know that they were going to get a smart road, 24-hour water supply, and underground drainage (UGD) facilities. But the slow progress of works, which is continuing for the past eight months has irked the residents.

Jothi Talkies Main Road is an important approach road that connects Military Road via Carpet Street and Ammapet Main Road.

During traffic congestion and festival times, heavy vehicles are diverted to this road to reach the Salem-Ulundurpet national highway. More than 500 families reside on this road. During rainy season, water from Seelavari Lake flows on this road.

The local people urged the authorities to prevent water from entering the road, and the Salem Corporation decided to lay a smart road with UGD and provide 24-hour drinking water supply to the area.

In December 2021, the corporation prepared an estimate and got approval from the authorities concerned to lay a smart road for 750 metres with UGD facility and 24-hour drinking water supply under the Smart City Mission at a cost of ₹9 crore.

In March 2022, the works were started, and the project completion period was fixed at six months. But even after eight months, the works were not completed, and only around 30% of the work was completed. Now, sewage and rainwater have stagnated in the stretch, which affects the health of the local people.

G. Kumar, a resident of the locality, said the works were not taking place in a planned manner. After the work started, vehicles struggled to pass through the road.