Velachery residents take a detour after temple closes road

CHENNAI: The cordoning off of an interior road, Pasupathi Lane, which connects Velachery Main Road and Gandhi Road has left residents and motorists more than a little put off.
Pasupathi Lane is a narrow road but commuters for more than four decades extensively used it as an alternative interior route that saved them a 15-minute detour. it turned out that the lane is private property, owned by Dhandeeswaram Temple.
Temple officials erected a 7-foot-high gate to block entry to the lane from Velachery Main Road during kumbabishekam last week and it has remained locked since then. The Dhandeeswaram temple tank, which covers roughly 12 grounds, is located at the barricaded end of the lane.
Some families that live on Pasupathi Lane, mostly from the lower income groups, depend on water they collect from the other side of the barricade.
“Temple officials have given residents of the lane one key to open the gate whenever a Metrowater tanker comes around to supply water,” said Balan, a welder who lives on the lane. “But closing the lane has caused us a lot of inconvenience. We have used the lane for 40 years. ”
Commuters found Pasupathi Lane even better to use after Corporation of Chennai relaid the stretch with a smooth bitumen top and reflector lights six months ago.
“Motorbikes, autorickshaws and cars used the lane and this helped reduce traffic congestion at the junction of Velachery Main Road and Gandhi Road,” G Sathyamurthy, a resident of Velachery Main Road, said. “We used the lane while heading toward Taramani Link Road too.”
Temple officials say people were making the road dirty. “Many people urinate near the temple tank and leave place unclean,” Dhandeeswaram Temple representative V Kumaraswamy said. “After we barricaded the lane for the puja, we found that it turned clean overnight so we decided to keep it closed. We are yet to decide whether we will permanently restrict commuters or allow them to use the lane.”
The residents plan to approach police to seek their assistance is having the road opened.