As in years past, the monsoon has led to flooding of Pulianthope Main Road, resulting in nerve-racking traffic snarls.
The four-km-long stretch is one of the shortest and well-laid roads in the northern neighbourhood, but is also one that is most-affected during the monsoon.
The stretch connects areas such as Perambur, MKB Nagar, Vysarpadi, Sembium, Tondiarpet and Jamailya with Chennai Central via Choolai.
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Unlike arterial stretches like Perambur Main Road which connect these areas with Poonamallee High (PH) Road at Vepery and the Wall Tax Road at Mint, the Pulianthope High Road is less congested due to fewer number of heavy vehicles plying on it. Due to easy connectivity, many motorists especially those working in government offices on Rajaji Salai and at the state Secretariat use the stretch to reach Chennai Central within 10 minutes, while it generally takes 45 minutes for motorists taking the chaotic Perambur Main Road due to the presence of schools, traffic signals and commercial buildings.
“The advantage of this stretch has become its disadvantage, as more motorists prefer it,” said K. Ravi, a resident of Pulianthope.
S. Devi, a resident of Pulianthope, says, “The existing stormwater drain was built decades ago to cater to the needs of a small population. With the increase in population, the drain, which is also used to discharge sewage water illegally, gets clogged during the monsoon resulting in inundation of the Pulianthope Main Road. The entire drainage system should be re-designed to prevent flooding on the stretch.”
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Corporation officials say the same thing. According to them, the existing stormwater drains which are meant to discharge excess rainwater into sea, are small, having been built many years ago to cater to the needs of a small population that settled along the stretch. With the increase in population, these drains have become a dumping yard clogging the facility. “Any de-clogging work results in traffic chaos. Also, these drains should be re-built to address the requirements of increased population in the neighbourhood,” the Corporation official said.