Anna Nagar’s surface tension

Gaping sinkholes and gravel-covered roads are threatening the lives of motorists and pedestrians alike in this suburb
Roads were dug for pipe-laying work but were not properly covered after
Roads were dug for pipe-laying work but were not properly covered after

CHENNAI: On Tuesday morning, traffic on Shanthi Colony halted to a loud thud when a part of the road caved in at Anna Nagar. Residents and bystanders were soon staring at a giant sinkhole that brought the neighbourhood to a standstill. For the next few days, motorists continued to slam the brakes as vehicles jostled through trenches in the road. Riders twisted the handles of their bikes, wheels slipping and skidding against the gravel. Sticking to one side of the road in a single file, drivers tried to avoid the 15-foot deep sinkhole on 4th Avenue, Anna Nagar.

The abysmal condition of roads has residents of Shanthi colony and the adjoining areas worried that this might be the beginning of many such incidents. Four months back, Chennai Metrowater Supply and Sewerage Board had dug roads in several areas for laying pipelines. Though work was completed in three months, the department laid gravel only to cover the roads, turning the entire stretch accident-prone.

The worst affected roads are Anna Nagar 5th Avenue, 4th Avenue, 6th Avenue, 14th Main road, 12th Main road H block and the arterial Shanthi colony. “The road on 5th Avenue has been broken since the time of elections. While we thought it’d be fixed soon after, the trenches kept expanding and were extended even inside Shanthi Colony. The trenches have been filled with rubble but that’s of no use. This is a busy area and 5th Avenue links two main roads — Shanthi Colony and Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue,” said M Anu, a resident.

The presence of a popular vegetable shop on Shanthi Colony makes the traffic caused by shoppers worse. “For people like us who live in the bylanes, it’s difficult to enter this street without worrying about being hit by vehicles. Since the roads are broken, we are forced to go in a single file which gets difficult, especially during the rains. Many autorickshaw and cab drivers seek a shortcut by entering residential areas, causing further chaos,” said Anu. 

Autorickshaw drivers say this is the state of the entirety of Anna Nagar. “Since Shanthi Colony is an arterial stretch, it is being highlighted now. However, all wide roads have shrunk by more than half, with parts of the road broken. We have stopped picking up pregnant women and senior citizens. Accidents are a daily thing and during rains, they are hourly. It is scary to drive in the nights,” said Sakthivel, an autorickshaw driver. With the roads broken, motorists are driving on pedestrian pathways, leaving no space for walkers. 

“Encroachment is a long-pending issue in the area. The footpaths are occupied by shops and the roads by vehicles. If you are a resident of Anna Nagar, even going to a shop 250 metres away means you have to take your bike,” said Vimala Kumari, a long-time resident of the area. The concerned official said the Metro Water department delayed payment of funds. “The payment was made only on September 5 and the road repair works will begin within two weeks. We have called for tenders,” he said.

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