CHENNAI: Manholes are posing a grave risk to residents and motorists during this monsoon season as some of them have been left without lids and others are half-closed or damaged as officials turn a blind eye. These manholes are four to six metres deep and if passersby slip into them during the rains, it could be fatal.
With one of the key roads linking Kalimman Koil Street to residential areas of Nerkundram, Poonamallee High Road and Koyambedu market in shambles and unmotorable with pits and slush everywhere, the manholes pose a bigger threat to residents and pedestrians who use the road.
One of the manholes is still kept open with some twigs put inside as a note of caution for pedestrians and motorists. There is no barricade and a corporation official from Nerkundram said that since there is no lid to cover it, they have put a few branches inside. But a motorist says it hardly makes any difference.
Chennai corporation officials said the unmotorable condition of roads is due to Metro Water not closing them up properly after executing work, while acknowledging the issue of open manholes.
"We will go in for another alternative like sourcing lids from private parties," said a Chennai corporation official.
Interestingly, the broken manhole is also visible near the road linking Kaliamman Koil Street with Iyappa Nagar. Although precautions have been taken by covering it with a stick and a tyre, an official said that they would soon close the manhole.
Further down the Poonamallee High Road near Maduravoyal, there are two manholes without lids on the footpath used by pedestrians. While the police have closed it with a makeshift barricade as a precautionary measure, no official could be contacted on why the manhole has not been shut with a proper lid.
A pedestrian said that the government should have ensured that all the manholes are closed properly before the rains. Officials are hardly aware of things as they don't review the work to be done prior to the monsoon, he said.