The widespread digging of new cement concrete roads in the city has caused severe damage to stretches. Even as commuters have started complaining about such unauthorised digging of roads in a number of neighbourhoods, workers were seen digging a cement concrete road in Adambakkam on Tuesday.
The damage to a stretch of East Karikalan Second Street in ward 163 on Tuesday was caused without obtaining ‘road cut permission’ from Chennai Corporation.
When contacted, the contractor Kannan said the work was carried out to fix a problem in the drainage network. He said the work began on Tuesday after obtaining ‘road cut permission’ from the Corporation, which had laid the road six months ago.
“The assistant engineer said the Chennai Corporation had issued road cut permission. So we started work,” he said. Restoration of the damaged road was not covered under the work order, he added.
However, Corporation officials confirmed that the permission had not been issued.
Councillor for ward 163 P. Gopalakrishnan said the existing drainage pipes were getting damaged in ten years. “
“The road is one of the 33 stretches that got a topping of cement concrete in our ward. More roads require digging for new drainage infrastructure,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
Senior officials of the Corporation said the permission for more than 1,600 road cuts by service agencies such as Metrowater and TANGEDCO have been withheld owing to monsoon.
