Citizen Connect: Stinky open drains outside ESI hospital make commuters avoid bus stop nearby

The bus stop outside the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) hospital on GST Road near Pallavaram stinks of sewage and hardly resembles a bus stop owing to open drains with sewage flowing it throughout the day.

Despite being a bus stop meant mostly for patients visiting the hospital, the deplorable condition of the bus stop forces people to stay away from it to avoid inhaling the foul odour emanating from the sewer.

Residents of the area claimed that they have repeatedly complaints to local body officials about the status of the bus stop but no action has been taken. “The ESI bus stop on GST Road is used mostly by people who need to visit the hospital and students of the nearby government-aided school. As the storm water drainage (SWD) work has been left incomplete, people let sewage out into the drains and it stinks a lot. Also, since the drains are left uncovered, it has also become a breeding ground for mosquitos,” said S Sindha Madar, a regular commuter.

Other commuters also claimed that because of the open drains, people have been avoiding using it and opted for other means of transport such as share autos which stop a little away from the bus stop to pick up passengers.

Rosemary, a staffer at a local retail outlet, said, “We try not to wait at the bus stop out of fear of contracting diseases as the place is infested with mosquitos during the evening hours. We mostly use share autorickshaws to avoid staying in the area.”

Residents said that even motorists who travel on GST Road suffer because of the open drains as the visibility is poor at nights and the area occasionally gets flooded during rains.

When contacted, Pallavaram Municipal Sanitary Officer Selvaraj said, “The highways department is responsible for the construction of SWDs and there is not much we can do about it. Following frequent complaints from commuters, we have now appointed two staff to clean the drains often.”

When a highway official was contacted regarding the incomplete SWD work, he said that there were some electric posts being erected by Tangedco that blocked the SWD work along the road. “We have asked the officials concerned to shift the posts and will resume work soon after they comply,” the official said.