NGO issues legal notice as flyover work gets delayed in Coimbatore
A city-based NGO has sent a legal notice to the officials of the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways (NH) Department for their failure to complete the Periyanaickenpalayam flyover work, the deadline of which has lapsed by more than a year now.
K Kathirmathiyon, secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said their lawyer Subramanian had sent the legal notice to the secretary of MoRTH in New Delhi, regional officer of MoRTH in Chennai, NH chief and superintending engineers in Chennai, and the NH divisional engineer in Coimbatore on August 29. Pointing out that the Periyanaickenpalayam flyover work had commenced on November 24, 2020, he said the work was supposed to be completed by May 25, 2022.
“As per the contract, the work should have been completed within one and half years. But the work is yet to be completed. The delay is causing a lot of difficulties to the public. The construction of the 1.85km-long flyover is delayed by 15 months. Yet, officials concerned haven’t announced a completion date.” The activist said because of the traffic diversion to facilitate the flyover work, motorists had to take a circuitous route and travel an additional 7km in the place of 500 metres of NH road.
“The road on the circuitous route is very narrow and poorly maintained by panchayats. Ambulances are finding it difficult to travel through the stretch. We don’t know how many lives have been lost because of the traffic diversion.” He said the public transporters were charging the passengers an additional fare to take the circuitous route. “The more the delay to complete the work, the more they have to spend. People are saying there is no need for flyovers if this is how the NH is carrying out projects.
The reputation of NH has been severely dented. The MoRTH should impose a severe penalty on the contractor. If the MoRTH fails to provide a proper reply to my legal notice, I will intensify the fight.”
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