The COVID-19 lockdown has, by sharply reducing traffic, helped the Greater Chennai Corporation complete work on the storm-water drain network along Velachery Main Road, normally a busy stretch.
The road, between the checkpost and bypass junction, is narrow and crowded owing to the presence of Phoenix Marketcity mall. Traffic snarls are a regular feature during rush hour. The stretch also serves as a corridor for commuters from several southern suburbs looking to reach Anna Salai.
Every rainy season, a portion of the road gets flooded, causing hardship to motorists.
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The frequent flooding was also the reason for the road being in a perpetual state of disrepair.
The Corporation had proposed a stormwater drain that would cut across the road and get linked to the canal available along the bypass. The work began in February and posed problems to road users.
Stalled for a while, the project was completed last week, with the lockdown easing the way, a senior civic official said.
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Solution found
The civic body has also found a solution to the stagnation problem near the Velachery gate of IIT Madras. The road near the institute used to get flooded during the rains. A drain was proposed in two sections – one flowing into the Dhandeeswarar temple pond and the other, into the Raj Bhavan canal, which drains into the Velachery lake.
“Both works were completed under the Chennai Mega City Development Mission at a cost of ₹80 lakh,” the official said and added that work was now on for paving the footpath above the drain near the mall.