Chennai: Monsoon threat looms over as civic works lag
Chennai Corporation officials insist they are racing against time. Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumaar said that of 3,970 tendered road projects, around 2,500 have been completed, and the rest would be finished by the end of the month.
Ongoing Storm Water Drain (SWD) work at Old Mambalam Road.
CHENNAI: With the northeast monsoon fast approaching, many Chennai neighbourhoods are bracing for flooded streets, dangerous potholes, and traffic snarls as key civic works drag on. Despite assurances from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board (CMWSSB) that road and drainage projects would be completed before the rains, residents across the city say delays and shoddy execution have left them vulnerable.
In Anna Nagar, commuters who depend on 6th Avenue to reach the Inner Ring Road face daily hazards. Once a smooth, tree-lined thoroughfare, the stretch is now a maze of dug-up patches and blocked pavements. “Pavements are occupied by vendors, and the road has been repeatedly dug for the installation of gas and Metro Water pipelines. With the rains, it is completely non-motorable,” said Sandhya Vadullapalli, secretary of the Federation of Anna Nagar Residents Welfare Associations. She added that the adjacent Otteri Nullah often overflows, forcing homeowners to spend heavily on raising their floor levels to keep out floodwater.
R Aanand, another resident of Anna Nagar, pointed to unfinished stormwater drain (SWD) works and pavement repair works. “The work drags on, and sudden showers interrupt it. Pedestrians now walk on the road itself,” he said. Damage caused by a private gas pipeline installation has left manhole covers loose, increasing the risk for motorists.
Similar complaints echo in Mogappair and its surrounding areas. Two months after an underground electrical line was laid near the Rail Nagar crossway to Poonamallee High Road, the cut portion remains uneven. “When it rains, the gravel is washed away. Because the road slopes, cars and light commercial vehicles skid,” said J Thabeth Godson of Padikuppam. The councillor of Ward 93 intervened only after repeated appeals, and repair works began belatedly.
West Mambalam residents are equally worried. SWD work on Old Mambalam Road, connecting Kumaran Colony and Karunanidhi Street, started late, just as the rains set in. “There is a school on this street and motorists suffer daily,” said resident Sahul Ammed. The diversion has forced traffic onto Krishnappa Naicker Street, where sewage pipeline works finished weeks ago, but the road is still not relaid. “It becomes impassable on normal and rainy days,” said K. Pradeep.
Farther south, Pallikaranai’s Meekashipuram streets remain riddled with potholes. “The main road near IIT Colony is fine, but our interior streets are battered,” said resident Kasi Ram.
Chennai Corporation officials insist they are racing against time. Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumaar said that of 3,970 tendered road projects, around 2,500 have been completed, and the rest would be finished by the end of the month. “Road-cut works are being carried out with proper permissions and will be completed at the earliest,” he said, adding that remaining stormwater drain projects will continue after the monsoon if required.
