With construction work continuing at a snail’s pace at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Udhagamandalam, local residents feel the delay is affecting their daily lives due to damaged roads and traffic congestion.
Residents of RC Colony in Udhagamandalam, living near the Hindustan Photofilms Limited factory, said works for the hospital have led to both the Gymkhana Road as well as parts of the Ooty-Mysore Road becoming extremely difficult for pedestrians to use.
“Due to felling of trees for construction of the buildings, soil erosion occurs during spells of rain and the eroded mud deposits on the road surface. This problem is most prevalent along the Gymkhana Road which becomes extremely hazardous for two-wheeler riders, some of whom have suffered falls while trying to use the roads,” said R. Lakshmi, a resident.
They also said the Ooty-Mysore Road was suffering from the same problems, with some stretches of the road becoming completely covered in loose mud. “Work at the hospital and college should have been completed before the monsoon. Now, due to extensive damage to the slopes where the buildings are being built, we fear that it will take more time for the construction to be completed,” said another resident.
He added that he has stopped using the Gymkhana Road ever since the construction began. “The road used to be one of the best exercise spots for the residents of the town. Now it is completely ruined,” he said.
Access roads to the college and hospital also remain incomplete and many students having registered their complaints with the college administration. Dr. Manohari Ramachandran, Dean of the Ooty Medical College and Hospital, said only students and faculty were using the college premises currently.
Following a recent inspection by the State Ministers, officials assured that work in the entire campus would be completed by March next year.
Sources said only four blocks in the campus were completed. Residential quarters, cafeterias, common rooms, faculty rooms and hostels are yet to be ready. The delay in construction that began in 2020 was due to unexpected rains in the district, they added.
