Residents object to relaying of OMR without cold-milling

Residents along Rajiv Gandhi Salai oppose road height increase, fearing flooding and accessibility issues during monsoon without cold milling.

Residents of areas along Rajiv Gandhi Salai are objecting to increasing the height of the arterial road during the recent re-laying. The road has not been cold milled, a process where the top layer is scrapped to ensure that the height does not increase.  

Wilson, a resident of Perungudi, said that in many places the slope was too steep and vehicles like two-wheelers and autorickshaws were finding it very difficult to climb up the road from the service lane. There have been instances of autorickshaw drivers losing control while trying to get off the road and entering the service lane. They have not even made the gradient a gradual one. The work is half finished, he added.  

Thoraipakkam resident S. Vasanth said that the laying was done in a poor manner, especially near the joints. “Vehicles get big jolts at some five to six points where they have joined two sections. This just shows that they care two hoots about motorists. Lighting too has not improved on the road and there are poor-lit stretches,” she pointed out.  

Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA) co-founder Harsha Koda said that he was alarmed by the blacktopping work being carried out without milling the existing surface. “It would only lead to diversion of some 60 -70 lakh litres of rainwater onto side roads and service lanes, setting the stage for catastrophic flooding when the monsoon hits.  

“This thick layer of tar isn’t just a technical issue. It’s a real threat to our homes, shops, offices, and daily lives on this vital IT corridor. We have endured years of waterlogging that turns our roads into rivers during even moderate rain, leaving families stranded and halting work in IT parks. As it is, the drains along the road are ill-equipped to carry the large volume of water and they are damaged too,” he pointed out.