A crater formed on Pandhalkudi Main Road in Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
R. ASHOK
With the upcoming monsoon expected to bring a considerable amount of rain to Madurai, the city’s deteriorating road infrastructure has once again been thrust into the spotlight, exposing the dismal state of both major arteries and residential streets. Despite the city corporation’s assurances of completing vital road repairs, severe waterlogging plagued neighbourhoods such as the Palanganatham roundabout, Racecourse Road, K. Pudur, Surveyor Colony, K.K. Nagar, Anna Nagar, and SS Colony during recent rainfall. An intense hour-long downpour lashed Madurai and its outskirts. At that time, heavy rainfall was recorded in several areas, including Teppakulam, Anna Nagar, K.K. Nagar, Kamarajar Salai, Goripalayam, Panthalkudi Main Road, TPK road near Corporation Shopping Complex, Tallakulam, Iyer Bungalow, Periyar Bus Stand, Town Hall Road, West Vadampokki Street and Mattuthavani. The resulting waterlogging made commuting highly challenging, forcing motorists to navigate main roads at a snail’s pace and triggering widespread traffic gridlock. Safety hazards multiplied as standing water hid potholes and submerged speed breakers from view, causing unsuspecting drivers to hit them blindly. The timing of the rain worsened the chaos, leaving evening commuters—including office workers and students returning home—stranded intraffic that had ground to a near-total standstill. Certain pockets of the city, such as Ward 14 in K. Pudur, which has a history of facing waterlogging due to the improper drainage systems, became nearly unmotorable. It left most of the streets and even some houses partially submerged. “We have not seen any Corporation workers in our neighbourhood for almost a year; the only staff we ever interact with are the doorstep garbage collectors,” said S. Ramanathan, a local resident. A resident of Surveyor Colony area shared a similar grievance, noting that the roads in his neighbourhood have not been paved in the five to six years since he moved there. “We only know bumpy mud roads. All these years, we have just had to brave the potholes and pits,” he remarked. The upcoming rainfall, for which the corporation has not done anything, is feared to double the issue, as reports suggested that rainfall might double as part of the climate change effects, opined the resident. Anna Main Street in Bethaniapuram (Ward 63) serves as another stark example of severe road deterioration. Sharp, protruding stones pose a constant hazard, threatening to puncture tires or cause motorcyclists to lose control. Meanwhile, residents of Duraisamy Nagar in Ward 70 pointed out that their main street serves as a crucial entry point from the Bypass Road, feeding into roughly 40 inner roads across a massive residential layout. While the situation remained bleak in residential neighborhoods, major commercial corridors are faring no better. Key thoroughfares—including Town Hall Road, the streets surrounding Periyar Bus Stand and MGR Bus Stand, and Alagar Koil Road near Iyer Bungalow—are all riddled with severely damaged stretches. The prolonged stagnation has also sparked intense public fury over the corporation’s lacklustre monsoon preparedness. Local traders emphasise that the mixing of overflowing sewage with stagnant rainwater has turned commercial zones into hotbeds for waterborne diseases, severely impacting daily business. Residents feared that if the civic body does not deploy heavy-duty dewatering pumps and initiate immediate patchwork repairs, the upcoming spells of rain will completely paralyse the temple city’s economy and transport network. Social activist V.P. Manikandan highlighted that severe flooding near the Subramaniapuram police station in Palanganatham had cut off access to local shops and bus stops. He noted that because the designated bus stop was entirely underwater, commuters had no choice but to wait and board their buses from the middle of the active roadway. TVS Nagar subway, Girder bridge area, Thathaneri subway area, area under the Yanaikkal bridge, among others needs immediate attention as the repaired area costs the valuable time of the commuters, he noted. This delay, caused by the traffic congestion, is due to the bad roads which prevent commuters from easily accessing the roads in the city, Mr. Manikandan said. While the corporation officials concentrate on timely rectification, long term plans to overhaul the road system was the need of the hour, he stated. Madurai Corporation Commissioner Gaurav Kumar said they have prepared the estimate to repair the damaged roads. “While we already have the necessary cold press materials to fill the deep potholes, the remaining damaged would be repaired once the estimate is approved,” he added. Also, they have prioritised three important works – storm water drain, desilting and canals cleaning – as part of the monsoon preparatory steps, he noted. Among the other works, roads would be given focus to repair them before the monsoon fully kicks in, he said.
