CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board has identified a leak in its sewer line beneath the road connecting Thiruvanmiyur and Taramani to be the reason for the gaping sinkhole that emerged on Saturday evening.
The leak had led to soil displacement and the eventual collapse, resulting in the cave-in of a part of the busy, arterial stretch, officials said. A 2.2-metre diameter sewer line runs along the length of the road.
“We are in the process of rectifying it and we are also holding discussions to ensure this does not happen again,” said an official.
Repair work is expected to be completed by Sunday night, following which the stretch will be opened back to traffic.
On Saturday evening, a car, carrying a family of four and a driver, which was waiting at the Thiruvanmiyur junction signal found itself wedged in the sinkhole that appeared beneath it. The family had hired the car to go to the Central railway station. Although the passengers were rescued immediately by passersby and traffic police on the spot, the car suffered major damage.
While metro rail work is being carried out in the area, CMRL, in a statement on Saturday, had said the cave-in was not because of its operations.