OMR residents oppose plan for new TTD temple

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.03.2020

Residents of Rajiv Gandi Salai are up in arms against a Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) move to build a temple on OMRECR Link Road, saying it would choke traffic and have an adverse impact on the ecologically sensitive area.

In a letter to chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday, Federation of OMR Residents Association (FOMRRA), an apex body of resident associations on the IT corridor, said the proposed land parcel for the temple is close to the Buckingham canal and is bound to create ecological issues. “The 2015 floods have shown how crucial the waterway is for this part of the city. Any development in its vicinity is bound to create serious ecological repercussions.”

The problems of OMR and Sholinganallur were not considered, it said, adding that Sholinganallur junction, surrounded by hospitals, hotels, educational institutions, IT parks and business houses, is almost 1km from the proposed site.

“On a normal working day, at least 55,000 vehicles/ hour use the junction, taking anywhere between 30 minutes and 45 minutes to cross the junction,” the letter said, adding the need of the hour is to ease the traffic flow by investing over infrastructure projects, which still do not exist.

FOMRRA coordinator Harsha Koda said the objection was over gifting public land that belongs to the residents of OMR to a religious body without showing any regard to the completion of infrastructure projects. “We want the government to give priority to complete all the infrastructure projects,” he added.

It may be recalled that a high level TTD delegation met the chief minister on Sunday to formally lay the foundation stone for the temple on April 9.