CHENNAI: A portion of the road at 4th avenue, Shanthi colony at Anna Nagar has been barricaded after the manhole of the underground sewer sank. The incident happened around 7 am on Tuesday when the Metrowater board workers were trying to check a few cracks around the manhole.
Officials said that Metro Water engineers, who were on rounds in the morning, found cracks developed around the manhole and quickly barricaded the spot to prevent accidents. When they removed the
manhole using an earth mover, the road caved in by about 4.5 metre. Officials said this could be because of the loose soil around the spot and added that the repair work will be completed in two days.
Metro Water officials said that the manhole was almost 30-years old due to which it collapsed quickly. "Around six months ago, the area around the manhole was dug up to lay internet cables. This loosened
the soil further. These are two main reasons why the manhole collapsed into the ground," said the official.
Traffic was let to ply on the road as usual after the area was securely barricaded. Officials said workers are repairing the damages since Tuesday morning and work will be fully completed in two days.