The recent spells of rain have left several areas of Anna Nagar West and Ambattur inundated. Vellala Street in Ambattur was under a sheet of water. Jeevarathinam Main Road of K.S.R. Nagar is life with potholes filled with water. “Last week, Metrowater authorities carried out road digging for drainage facilities in Sindhunathi Salai, ICF Colony, Athipet. The workers have not properly closed the trenches and now after the rains, the street is slushy. There is a five-feet trench,” says Murali, a resident. Representatives of residents’ welfare associations in these areas said the drainage infrastructure was a long pending demand. When Metrowater started its work, the dug-up sand was not refilled properly and recent showers have made the road slippery.
Metrowater is laying pipelines in several parts of Ambattur and its neighbouring areas for connecting the sewer mains. Initially, the entire underground drainage project was expected to be completed by December 2011. Manpower shortage, delay in permission for cutting roads and problems faced during land acquisition for constructing sewage pumping stations are cited as reasons for the delay. Also, the construction of deep manholes can only begin in summer, when there is a dip in the groundwater table, a Metrowater official said.
Chennai Corporation officials said that road dug up for infrastructure development would be handed over to them after completion of work by Chennai Metrowater.
