Under Madurai bridges, a dirty picture
Madurai : The walls and pillars of new flyovers in Madurai may have become beautiful story tellers these days, replete with murals about the history of Madurai and Tamil Nadu, but the spaces beneath the older ones tell a different story. They are a picture of neglect, being misused for illegal parking , waste dumping, and open defecation .
The Velu Nachiyar flyover in Goripalayam and Madurai–Natham flyover are well-maintained, with raised platforms preventing parking, and beautification projects under way. But the space under South Gate flyover is regularly used as an illegal parking site. Cars block pedestrians from crossing the road, forcing them to navigate around vehicles or walk on the carriageway. “The area reeks of urine because of the lack of maintenance,” said K Ashok, a resident. He added that cars are parked for months on end under many of these flyovers, gathering dust and blocking traffic.
The space under Madura College rail overbridge is used both as parking space and as dumpsite. Nearby shops, passersby and vehicles all fight to claim the space under the bridge, pushing pedestrians towards the rail tracks to cross under the bridge. O Shekar, a nearby vendor, said the dumpsite combined with urine stench make it impossible to be near the bridge for too long. “Schoolchildren face a serious health hazard as they use the space to get home. They could also hurt themselves on the rusted metal waste and loose wires dumped in the space,” he added.
Social activist V P Manikandan pointed out that many bridges are being used by the destitute as shelters. “Absence of fences to prevent people from living under flyovers and crossing the roads can prove fatal for them, considering the speed at which vehicles travel, particularly near Kalavasal bridge ,” he said. Apart from beautification projects, CCTV cameras and police action should be taken to prevent such a situation. “Open defecation and waste found under flyovers present a poor image of the city to visitors and residents,” Manikandan added.
The Velu Nachiyar flyover in Goripalayam and Madurai–Natham flyover are well-maintained, with raised platforms preventing parking, and beautification projects under way. But the space under South Gate flyover is regularly used as an illegal parking site. Cars block pedestrians from crossing the road, forcing them to navigate around vehicles or walk on the carriageway. “The area reeks of urine because of the lack of maintenance,” said K Ashok, a resident. He added that cars are parked for months on end under many of these flyovers, gathering dust and blocking traffic.
The space under Madura College rail overbridge is used both as parking space and as dumpsite. Nearby shops, passersby and vehicles all fight to claim the space under the bridge, pushing pedestrians towards the rail tracks to cross under the bridge. O Shekar, a nearby vendor, said the dumpsite combined with urine stench make it impossible to be near the bridge for too long. “Schoolchildren face a serious health hazard as they use the space to get home. They could also hurt themselves on the rusted metal waste and loose wires dumped in the space,” he added.
Social activist V P Manikandan pointed out that many bridges are being used by the destitute as shelters. “Absence of fences to prevent people from living under flyovers and crossing the roads can prove fatal for them, considering the speed at which vehicles travel, particularly near Kalavasal bridge ,” he said. Apart from beautification projects, CCTV cameras and police action should be taken to prevent such a situation. “Open defecation and waste found under flyovers present a poor image of the city to visitors and residents,” Manikandan added.
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