CHENNAI: While most areas in the city escaped major damages, the already battered roads in Madipakkam bore the brunt of the record rainfall that fell during the past three days. For four months, Sunil K of Ram Nagar 8th main road has been trying to convince his drinking water supplier to deliver water cans to his house. The area has been cut off from online deliveries and others for months because of the bad roads.
Even when the water was quick to drain here like elsewhere in the city, the rain left the dug-up roads in a mess, with every turn of the street being accident-prone. Even as the stormwater drain work was winding up in the area, the metro water began sewage pipe laying work this month, resulting in many roads remaining unmotorable.
According to Gokul S, a resident of Lake View 7th Cross, the main road is in such a bad state that it was common to see two-wheeler riders taking over the footpath instead which in turn, leaves pedestrians nowhere to go. “The road has been lying in this state for around three months now and we have been patiently waiting for it to be relaid. With the rain, no stopgap arrangement was made and everything was left as is, leaving us to fend for ourselves,” he said.
In Sadasivam Nagar and Balaiah Nagar, residents said almost all the lanes along with Sadasivan Nagar main road had been dug up. “In the mornings, you never know which lane to take because everything is dug up and not one is better than the other. While taking up metro water work, not every adjacent street should not be dug up simultaneously; it should be carried out in stages,” said Vignesh P, a resident of Sadasivan Nagar.
When contacted, a corporation official said they have communicated to metro water to carry out work without inconveniencing the public. Metro water officials said the underground sewerage scheme was started in August 2022 and is scheduled for completion in January 2025. “In the meantime, we are addressing all public grievances. During the recent rainfall, we have filled up all pits with sand and levelled it to avoid any inconveniences to the public,” said a metro water official.