CHENNAI: Motorists on Karukku Main Road in Ambattur, which turned dangerous due to repeated cave-ins, can heave a sigh of relief as the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) has commenced replacing damaged underground sewer pipes on the stretch hoping to permanently prevent such incidents in the future.
A Metro Water official said that Karukku Main Road has been dug up to facilitate pipeline replacement and the work has been under way since the last few days. “Since the existing pipelines are made of RCC (reinforced cement concrete) and were laid 20 years ago before the annexure of Ambattur municipality to Greater Chennai Corporation, cracks in the pipelines caused leakages. The leakage displaced soil and created a void under the road,” the official said.
Metro Water will install cast iron (CI) pipes with 800mm diameter in its place and the work is expected to be completed within a week. Karukku Main Road, one of the major roads in the locality, is facing severe traffic snarls due to the work.
“Cast iron pipes have a longer lifespan than concrete pipes. After the concrete pipes are replaced, cave-in incidents will be permanently prevented,” the official assured.
Metro Water has been prompted to take up the work after a portion of the road cave-in on January 27, disrupting the busy Monday traffic. Even though no one was injured in the incident, a biker had a narrow escape as he fell into a crater that occurred after the road caved in at the same spot in August.
S Suresh, president of United Welfare Association of Ambattur, said that about six cave-in incidents have occurred on Karukku Main Road in the last couple years. “The pipeline replacement works started two weeks ago. Officials started the work immediately after the latest cave-in,” he added.