Fifteen unused concrete pipes of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), which were lying on a portion of the newly-laid footpath (between Porur and Manapakkam) along Mount-Poonamallee Main Road for 10 months, were removed a fortnight ago. Now, they are kept at a facility in Porur where over-head tank (OHT) of CMWSSB is located.
This move follows the article “Metrowater pipes sit pretty on footpath in Porur” published in the April 5, 2019 issue of The Hindu Downtown which highlighted that the safety of pedestrians being compromised as the pipes were occupying the footpath and people had to walk on the carriageway of Mount-Poonamallee Main Road, which is a State Highway. “CMWSSB stacked its pipelines on the footpath citing easy transportation to its work sites in the vicinity rather than from the OHT premises as it’s approach road is quite narrow. We asked CMWSSB to remove the pipes from the footpath as it was inconvenient for walkers and also misused by miscreants, especially at the night,” says an official of Highways Department.
The pipes were meant for an underground water pipeline project of CMWSSB. The aim of the project was to carry water from Porur lake and other waterbodies in the western outskirts of the city to overhead tanks and water filling points of CMWSSB within the city.
ADVERTISEMENT