CHENNAI : A portion of the Sardar Patel Road near Madhya Kailash caved in, due to a burst in the underground sewer main. The cave-in was found by commuters early on Friday. Traffic flow was affected during rush hour as the stretch leading to Adyar was barricaded.“Traffic congestion is already a major issue in this part of the city and these cave-ins that seem to happen frequently certainly worsen it. Also, every time I cross this stretch, I fear that the road gives way,” said Kalaivanan P, a commuter.
The Sardar Patel Road is an arterial stretch on which two important educational institutions are located. In June too, there was a six-foot sinkhole at the junction, bringing traffic to a 45-minute standstill.Corporation officials said that the road cave-in was caused due to the subsoil settlement caused by a leak in the sewer line. A 1,000-mm diameter sewage pipe passes underground. “The road will be fixed soon,” the official said. The road was yet to be repaired as on Friday evening.
Metro Water officials said that the reason could be identified only after due inspections on Friday night. “We will have to inspect the stretch after the traffic slows down.” In December 2015, the road caved in at the Madhya Kailash signal due to heavy rains and floods. In 2017, a car and a bus sank inside a crater on Anna Salai. In January 2018, there was another cave-in at Anna Salai near the DMS junction, reportedly due to Metro Rail constructions nearby.
Cave in History
In December 2015, the road caved in at the Madhya Kailash signal. In 2017, a car and a bus sank inside a crater on Anna Salai. In January 2018, there was a crater near DMS junction.