Mayor’s ward in Perambur cries for attention thanks to CMWSSB

CHENNAI: Four years ago, residents of Ward 74 in Perambur erupted in joy after they came to know that their councillor R Priya would be the Mayor of Chennai. Among their many expectations was that the ward would receive VVIP status, and become a model of development.

Fast forward to the present day. Ward 74 is plagued by damaged roads, choking drainage pipelines and traffic congestion, all thanks to the snail’s pace of Metro Water works.

Residents of Adhisesha Nagar are frustrated and fuming, as the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has damaged the roads to renovate old pipelines. “Drainage work, going on here for the past two months, has damaged all the 6 streets in this area. There is no doubt that renovating the pipeline is vital but roads have to be re-laid when the works are completed,” said a shopkeeper.

After sunset, senior citizens and pregnant women find it difficult to walk in this area as roads are not even “Construction debris is being dumped on the streets,” added the shopkeeper.

Intermittent rains make it worse, as the dug-up roads are not repaired. This causes water stagnation and leads to traffic congestion. “The situation is worse at night as potholes are not visible clearly,” lamented a woman resident. “This has been the situation for more than a month. Even commuting on a two-wheeler is hard,” she stated. “The workers at the site are rude when we ask them about the snail-pace of work.”

Adding to the turmoil, a tree in Adhisesha Nagar 1st Main Road is on the verge of falling, as the roots were loosened due to gusty wind recently, pointed out another resident. “Though a complaint was made to the GCC two weeks ago, no action has been taken. If the tree is not removed safely, the fall would be fatal. Plus, the risk is high as it rains often these days,” he averred.

When contacted, a GCC official told DT Next that the CMWSSB has not completed the drainage work. “We need ‘No Objection’ from the Metro Water department to repair the roads. When they have completed the works, we’ll begin the road repair work,” the official said. “The Parks department has certified that the tree is in good shape. So, we decided not to remove it, but its branches will be pruned.”