Coimbatore: Irregular construction of drains along the Nanjundapuram Road has left sewage overflowing on the road. Residents of the area are struggling to cross the stretch as sewage has inundated more than half the stretch.Around one week ago, the highways department began constructing a small stretch of the drainage on the road. However, the presence of two temples within 30 metres forced it to realign the construction.Due to this, construction on a 30-metre stretch of the drain was not taken up. "When they (highways department) began constructing this part of the drain, they blocked the drain on the other side. This led to overflowing and the sewage has inundated the road," said Baskaran R, a 60-year-old security guard. "There are residences and shops and a temple here. The sewage has made it difficult to walk on this stretch," he said.Passers too find it difficult to cross the stretch. To provide some relief, the highways department dumped mud dug out for laying the drain on the overflowing sewage. However, continuous flow has inundated more than half the road.The sewage has left the place stinking, and every motorist or pedestrian who passes the stretch is seen covering the face. Motorists have to slow down to a crawl as there is space only for one car to pass by. The rest of the road is either dug up or is occupied by the mud that has been dug out.J Antony, an environmentalist who regularly commutes through Nanjundapuram Road, said, "The authorities should not have used such a strategy to construct this small stretch separately. Also, the officials must have been aware that the drain will overflow if they blocked it. They should have cleaned the drain before blocking it."Residents of the area say it will take at least three-four days for completing the construction.

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