Temple takes over footpath in T Nagar, blocks access to street

CHENNAI: To the annoyance of residents of

Rangan Street in T Nagar

, a small shrine has been built on a footpath in the area. Adding to their woes, a pandal was also set up here to facilitate the kumbhaabhishekam of this new shrine.

A corporation engineer, however, said the shrine was not new. "It was an existing temple. They have only renovated it," he said.

Water tankers, on which residents are dependent, were unable to come to the street since Monday night because the pandal, erected across the width of the road, blocks access to Rangan Street from

Rameswaram

Road. "There is no

Metrowater supply

here. On Monday night, a tanker driver had a tough time trying to get out of the street. On Tuesday, when I called him, he refused to come here," said B Kannan, a resident.

Shekhar, the owner of the shrine, said the pandal will be removed by April 30 . He did not respond when asked if he had the corporation's permission to build the structure. "We have left space on top of the footpath where there is a manhole," he said.

"They [those involved in building the temple] had come to an understanding with residents of Rangan Street so we did not take any action," the engineer said.