Uneven manhole covers force commuters to take a bumpy ride

Commuters are being taken for a bumpy ride on the already uneven St Mary’s Road after a series of manhole covers were left unattended.

The road that stars near Alwarpet and ends near the Mandaveli Post Office cuts through thickly residential parts of the city and is also a bus route for vehicles plying from the Mandaveli depot to other parts of the city. Residents from Mandaveli have been complaining about the shoddy work starting from the point near the HM Hospital Bus Stop on the route.

Talking to DT Next, CR Balaji, a resident of Mandaveli and a commuter on the stretch, pointed out that after roadworks, the area around the manhole covers should be levelled with cement or bitumen. “However, the series of manholes till the stretch connects to CP Ramaswamy Road have been serving as unexpected speed breakers for vehicles,” he said. 

He added that unsuspecting commuters stand the risk of an accident, skidding over the surface. “Even yesterday evening, a couple on a bike risked falling after their vehicle bumped on the uneven surface with a thud.”

Balaji had complained to the Chennai Metro Water and Sewerage Board Officials in the zone. “That was on January 12 and the official concerned said it will be looked into. They still haven’t attended to it.”

A senior official from the department said, “We will look into the complaint and repair it at the earliest. However, we have not received any complaint from residents with respect to the issue.”