CHENNAI: Come monsoon, drains start conquering the streets of Chennai. Water and sewage flow freely on roads. Every year, a good number of Chennai residents have no other option but to put up with the menace.
For the unfortunate few, it even costs them their life. A day after mother-daughter duo from Ayanambakkam fell into a drain and died at Mogappair, Express took a ride along the bypass road from Maduravoyal flyover to Ambattur, only to find several such drains along the stretch.
Selvan G, a resident of Maduravoyal, who often takes the service lane said, "Water stagnation is a real problem here. When it rains, water on the roads and drains is at the same level, and you really cannot tell until you have fallen in it."
He claims these drains have been in this condition for a long time. "A few months ago, a four-wheeler lost control and its wheel got stuck in the drain. It was in the same spot that the mother-daughter duo died recently," he said.
On Monday, a Yamaha R15 sports bike was parked in the area, not far from the accident spot, that had fully gone under water. Locals claimed that it had been lying there for a month now. Murugesan R, who runs a shop nearby, said: "The rider of the bike had run into the drain. His family reached the spot and took him to the hospital, leaving his bike there."
At some places, for instance, outside the Decathlon sports centre on the stretch, the drains are filled with sewage, in addition to full-grown plants alongside, making it hard for one to judge the presence of a drain there.
There are open drains along stretches of another busy route in the city, the Poonamalle High Road leading to Thiruverkadu. At the junctions, the drains are wider, which may even cause a risk to four-wheelers. However, despite repeated instances of people falling into it, there has been no action on closing such drains.
When contacted, NHAI officials said that the drains were slightly above the road-level and a protection rails will soon be built. "It was left as an open drain as it was not too deep. Protection rails will immediately be set up along the stretch, while we will close the drains after taking measurements," said an official.