Chennai Citizen Connect: Madhavaram High Road dug up again, this time by Metro Water board

CHENNAI: Just months after restoring the Madhavaram High Road, parts of the stretch have been dug up again. This time, it was to lay Metro Water pipes. Localites argue that the project lacks coordination between government authorities, including civic authorities, TNEB, and the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), which causes inconvenience.

The Chennai Corporation recently resurfaced the Moolakadai to Perambur stretch of the Madhavaram High Road. Over the last few days, however, the Metro Water board dug up the road, including Lakshmi Amman Koil Street and Madhavaram High Road 1st Cross Street, to lay metro water lines to a new Housing Board Colony.

Residents highlight that milling and resurfacing the road every now and then is not just an inconvenience but a loss to taxpayers. Raghukumar Choodamani, a resident, reiterated the point and said the authorities should have planned this better. They could have laid the pipes before resurfacing the road.

They register that this issue has not happened for the first time and is a recurring problem in many other neighbourhoods. "The GCC officials should have discussed this with their counterparts in CMWSSB or Tangedco and planned to restore the roads after laying the pipes," the residents said.

J Srinivasan, a resident of Moolakadai, points out that after the pipes were relayed, the roads were not restored and maintained properly, making them unfit for commute. "It makes the roads dangerous for motorists, and it's time the authorities take action," he said.

Meanwhile, the zonal officials say that the issue has been communicated to them, and the road will be repaired to ensure that it is in good condition for a safe and comfortable commute.