School kids slip, fall into slush

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Two school children slipped and fell on the slushy Kannagi street in Madipakkam on Monday, exhibiting once again, the sorry condition of the city’s roads.

The bruised students had to return home as their uniforms were soiled. Meanwhile, irked by the lack of quality roads that had led to the incident, angry parents staged a road roko on the Madipakkam Koot Road junction affecting traffic for nearly an hour.

Bad roads have been a long-standing issue for the residents of Madipakkam. The roads that were dug up in the erstwhile Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam Municipality (now merged with Chennai Corporation) to carry out underground drainage and drinking water pipe laying works, were filled only with mud. And the situation is the same even after the merger with the City Corporation.

Residents complain that they have been deprived of basic infrastructure like roads, streetlights and sanitation. “Several representations to the civic body and Kanchipuram Revenue authorities have proved futile,” said Ms S. Vasanthi, a resident of Madipakkam.

“There are three schools located on the Kannagi Street and every morning the children have a tough time negotiating the stretch. The recent showers have turned the road slushy. Authorities must take steps to lay roads before monsoon,” she added.

Police and City Corporation officials, who rushed to the spot to pacify the public, assured that the road will soon be laid and dispersed the agitators.