Masilamani Street, off Thanikachalam Street, in T. Nagar is a small stretch with around a dozen buildings on either side. But the residents struggle with unauthorised parking, roadside shops and inundation.
The street once had only residential units. In the past decade though, it has become a commercial area, with the eastern end taken over by makeshift shacks of florists.
These florists are in addition to those who have been allotted shops in the Greater Chennai Corporation complex on Thyagaraya Road.
A resident of a neighbouring street said removal of the encroachments would help people walk on the narrow stretch that passes for a footpath.
A few commercial establishments, including a hotel, have sprung up along the street, leaving the road-users with little space to walk.
No relief
The ₹40-crore multi-level car parking was supposed to ease the congestion from on-street parking. But, with the Corporation deciding to permit on-street parking at slightly higher rates, there is little relief for the residents and pedestrians.
Come festival season, cars are parked all over the street, sometimes leaving no room even to walk, let alone drive.
The western end is a junction with one end abutting the ward office.
Every day, and especially during festivals and weekends, the entire junction is choked with the parked vehicles. So much so that even two-wheelers cannot navigate the stretch. There is hardly any regulation of unauthorised parking. On rare occasions, the traffic police lock a car for parking violation.
Worse than haphazard vehicle parking is the street getting inundated even during a brief spell of rain. Though a lot of money has been invested in T. Nagar to improve the drainage network, Masilamani Street has not benefited.
Fully flooded
R. Ramasamy, a resident, says, “We don’t know where the potholes are as it is fully flooded.”
Prakash Galada, a businessman who lives on Venkatnarayana Road and commutes to his shop on Thyagaraya Road, calls for other arrangements to reduce traffic flow.
“They have made the street two-way, and we have to go only through this street to reach home. We understand that it will be the case for three years as Chennai Metro Rail Limited has to complete the work on the Panagal Park station,” he says. The traders have made several representations but in vain.
An official of the Chennai Corporation said action would be taken based on the complaints received.
