The unfinished flyover in Taratala, on Diamond Harbour Road, and bad road conditions have led to total chaos in the area, and residents of the Behala, Thakurpukur and New Alipore are bearing the brunt of it.

Enormous, slush-filled craters on Diamond Harbour Road have rendered it almost unusable. To make matters worse, the increasing numbers of taxi and autorickshaw stands have further narrowed the stretch. Buses of more than two dozen routes, besides 5,000 autos and 3,000 taxis, ply on this stretch.

The road, which was once 180 feet wide, now barely measures 60 feet owing to the pillars raised to construct the flyover.

In the absence of effective traffic management, there is no relief in sight. It takes almost an hour to cover the one-km stretch between Taratala and Thakurpukur by car. Initially, when the construction of the flyover — a 560-metre-long, four-lane structure — started last August, some of the traffic was diverted through James Long Sarani, which soon got choked and most vehicles were forced to get back on Diamond Harbour Road.

“Originally there were two taxi stands between Taratala and Thakurpukur. Now, there are more than a dozen. Moreover, there are at least half a dozen taxi stands in the vicinity of Behala police station. Though these add to the chaos, no one takes action, since they are patronised by the local Citu,” said Shakti Mondal, a local resident and Trinamul Congress leader.

He alleged that the area under the half-constructed flyover has become a hub of illicit liquor and drugs, while the vacant spaces are used to park cars.

Local CPM leader and leader of the Opposition in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation Nirmal Mukherjee dismissed the Trinamul allegations.

“We are more concerned with the completion of the flyover. I personally met public works department minister Amar Chowdhury, along with the local people, and urged him to ensure that work is completed on time,” he said.

Local Trinamul MLA Partha Chatterjee admitted that the work should be expedited. “I have taken the initiative to ensure speedy completion of the flyover and I personally met the PWD minister to seek that the flyover be ready in time,” he said.

PWD minister Chowdhury gave the assurance that the work will be completed on time. “We plan to finish the work on schedule, that is, by March next year, and if everything goes on smoothly, we are sure to achieve the target,” the minister said.

District superintendent of police S.N. Gupta said attempts are being made to take steps against criminal activity under the incomplete flyover.