Leak from Perungalathur subway raises concern over monsoon plan

The leak has prompted fear among the commuters on whether the construction of the subway was of inferior quality.

Perungalathur is one of the fast-developing areas in the south suburbs in Chennai and many people from different places visit the area as it is the bus boarding station to the southern districts ofTamil Nadu.

Following repeated requests from the locals, the railways constructed the pedestrian subway and it opened for public usage in February 2019. According to the railway officials, the subway construction began in 2017 and took two years to be completed.

After the subway was opened, commuters were relieved since they did not have to cross the railway tracks regularly. However, with the new subway leaking even mild rain, public claimed that they were unsure if the subway would hold on during the monsoon.

“During the rain, we cannot use the subway and if we risk taking a walk through the subway, we are forced to carry an umbrella or face a risk of getting wet in the dirty water,” said A Mercy from Perungalathur.

The commuters also said that lighting in the subway was insufficient and several bulbs that had been fixed at the time of inauguration, have gone missing forcing public to walk in the dark at nights. “The railways should take steps to fix CCTV cameras in the subway and monitor the thefts,” Mercy added.

When contacted, a Southern Railway official confirmed that the subway was indeed leaking. “We will take up the issue with the concerned department and ensure that the leaks are plugged,” the official said.