For the past few weeks, rows of new water pipes are found stacked on the newly laid footpath along Mount – Poonamallee Main Road (opposite DLF information technology park) in Ramapuram. They have been kept there by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).
Interestingly, residents say that the CMWSSB has its local office within a kilometre where sufficient space is available to keep these pipes.
The pipes are meant to carry water from Porur lake and other water-bodies from the outskirts to overhead tanks and water-filling points, maintained by the CMWSSB, to extended areas of the Greater Chennai Corporation, especially localities in and around Ramapuram.
Residents say that these pipes should be removed from the footpath and accommodated at the CMWSSB’s local office.
“As an IT park and a big shopping complex are located on this stretch, a footpath is very essential. Although many of the IT employees work from home, due to the outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic, people will start using the footpath once normalcy returns,” says S. Premkumar, a resident of Porur. During rush hour, many people prefer to take Mount – Poonamallee Main Road as it is a shorter route to reach Anna Salai rather than taking the chaotic Arcot Road. Therefore, a footpath becomes all the more relevant.
In this regard, a CMWSSB official says “Steps will be taken to relocate the pipes from the footpath at the earliest.”
