Cut and cover drain works affect public

In the latest incident on Thirumagal Nagar Second street, a car fell into the huge trench and the passenger had a close escape. Sunil Jayaram of Chitlapakkam Risings, a citizen activist group, said, “They have neither put barricades or sign boards near the trenches. People who have no clue about the works fall into the trench,” he said.

He further said that the residents insisted authorities followed safety measures, however the suggestions were allegedly ignored. He points out, “Every day, there is an accident. These could be risky and can even cause death.”

The residents say that delay in works have caused enough hardship for the residents. Jayaram said, “On Babu Street, one side of the road is dug up. Also, access to the road was blocked. Residents in the street are hit due to this.” They also claimed that the road works caused pollution in the area. The cut and cove drains are a part of the flood mitigation efforts undertaken to drain surplus water from Selaiyur Lake to Sembakkam Lake.

Govindaraj, Joint Enggineer, Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat denied the allegation and stated that they were taking adequate precautions. “We have galvanised iron sheets to cover the site in the nights. These sheets are removed in the morning.”