Overflowing sewage wreak havoc on Koyambedu Market East Road
The Koyambedu Market East Road is always busy with large and small commercial vehicles that carry fruits and vegetables throughout the day;
Overflowing sewage on the Koyambedu Market East Road
CHENNAI: The poor condition of Koyambedu Market East Road, (from the CMDA office to the omnibus terminus), has been an accident-prone area for a long time. Overflowing sewage has become a perennial problem and caused more difficulties for commuters, passengers, commercial establishments and for auto drivers.
The Koyambedu Market East Road is always busy with large and small commercial vehicles that carry fruits and vegetables throughout the day. The uneven road is also used by thousands of two-wheelers, auto rickshaws and other small commercial vehicles all day and well into the evening.
Though the Metro Water board completed its pipeline works two weeks ago, the road re-laying work has not yet started. “For two-wheelers, uneven roads and dust pollution are a safety hazard and health risk. At night, this road is even more dangerous for commuters – in the last 5 days alone, 3 people have been injured,” lamented M Murugesan, an auto driver in Koyambedu.
A senior official from the Metro Water board told DT Next, “The road re-laying works are being carried out on a segmental basis, and it has entered the finishing phase.”
A few commercial establishments like fast-food and tiffin centres were anxious over the loss of business, as they were affected by the sewage overflow that stagnated on the road. “Even if the Metro Water officials clear the blockage, it overflows after two hours. The situation has been getting worse over the last 10 days,” rued K Wilson, a worker in the Koyambedu market. “The stagnation has led to loss of business as consumers don’t want to eat in a place surrounded by overflowing drains.”
Many auto-rickshaw drivers could not bear the stench and have shifted parking their vehicles to a nearby place.
When contacted, a Metro Water official told DT Next, “Sewage blocks are happening because omnibus passengers throw plastic waste inside the drain. Since the omnibus terminus is under the control of CMDA, we’ve informed officials there to set filter chambers.”