A civic problem can linger on, making its presence felt when residents think it is a thing of the past — for residents of Millers Road in Kilpauk, the problem of overflowing sullage from clogged drains fits this category.
They experience it every monsoon. This time, the overflowing drains seem to be working overtime, and they pose a threat to the safety of motorists and pedestrians taking the road.
Residents say that lack of regular maintenance of the drains on this congested road is the reason they get suddenly clogged.
Millers Road is part of a key MTC bus route with most of the buses from Broadway and Ayanavaram terminuses plying on this road while on their way to various parts of Chennai.
Millers Road and its connecting streets witness clogging of sullage with overflows from the manholes every monsoon.
As a stop-gap measure, workers from the Greater Chnenai Corporation and Chennai Metrowater clean the manholes. Residents however point out that complete desilting of the drain, especially at the spots where the problem is recurring, should be carried out to prevent clogging.
They also want adequate filters to be installed.
Corporation officials say that prior to the pandemic, declogging exercise was done at regular intervals in coordination with local Metrowater staff to prevent blockage in the sewage pipelines.
But this work could not be carried out in the recent months due to lockdown with most of the workers with the civic body focussed on checking the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
“Steps will be taken to unclog the drains on the stretch, which will be treated to a fresh coat of bitumen to ensure the safety of motorists,” says a Corporation official.
