Road Safety Association demands repair of roads dug up for UGD works in Coimbatore

The Coimbatore District Road Safety Association has urged the Coimbatore Corporation and the Highways Department to repair roads damaged by underground drainage (UGD) works, saying the dug-up stretches are causing traffic congestion and accidents.On Mettupalayam Road, from Vellakinar junction to the railway gate, vehicles find it difficult to move when the gate is closed, and the dug-up portions fill with water when it rains.At Urumandampalayam railway gate in Ward 13, the pits fill with water during rain, affecting the residents of Ponvizha Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Srinivasan Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Darshana Garden and Kongu Nagar.The Thudiyalur-Saravanampatti road, used by about 20,000 people a day, has many damaged stretches.The association asked the Highways Department to remove encroachments and repair the road.On the Vellakinar-Ganapathy road, ambulances find it hard to reach the government hospital. The association said the situation was the same in all 100 wards.Corporation officials said the UGD scheme covers Vadavalli, Veerakeralam, Kavundampalayam and Thudiyalur, with 12 wards fully and parts of five wards, at an estimated cost of ₹935.92 crore.The main pipelaying on Vellakinar Road is complete, while 20% of the work remains on the Thudiyalur-Saravanampatti and Thudiyalur-Kanuvai roads.They said that where a road belongs to State Highways, the restoration cost will be handed over to the department, which will restore it. The Corporation will restore the other roads.Vellakinar Road comes under Highways and will soon be handed over to the department for restoration. Published - October 14, 2026 06:39 pm IST