CHENNAI: With rains lashing Chennai for the past two days, various roads, some even newly laid, have been battered, causing trouble and risk to commuters. Craters have come up on important roads, such as Poonamalle High Road, near Maduravoyal, and 100 Feet Road, near the Thirumangalam flyover.
Similarly, roads in T Nagar, which witnessed severe inundation, have been damaged, while in North Chennai, several parts of the Thiruvottiyur High Road, near Tondiarpet and Old Washermenpet, had craters.
This sparks reminders of a recent accident on Mount Road, where a pothole caused a techie’s death. Activists questioned why roads were coming off with just a day’s rain, and wondered what quality of asphalt was used.
Civic activist David Manohar said the contractors do not mill roads properly as they don’t know where to dispose off the milled-out asphalt. “As a result, they lay roads overnight and leave the place before sunrise. Roads must be properly milled before they are laid,” he pointed out.
He also said the roads come off as the asphalt content is not sufficient. “With rains hitting hard, the asphalt chips bounce back. If the tar content is not sufficient, the roads open up,” he added. Activists stressed that despite a G.O. being in place to mill roads, this was not done in many localities.
Apart from exterior roads, several interior roads and streets have also been damaged in the last two days. Patches of the 13th, 12th, and 11th main roads in Shanthi Colony and Thiruvallur Salai, and Pari Road in Moggappair are among those that have massive craters. The condition is no different in Mambalam and Purasaiwalkam.
In the first week of November, the civic body sanctioned `10 lakh across 15 zones to patch up the craters and potholes. “Close to 6,000 roads were identified but the rain interrupted the work. We plan to resume it from next week,” said an official.