Table of Contents
Digging up of roads for laying gas pipelines leads to a spate of issues
A litany of problems: The gas pipeline network being installed on East Main Road at Anna Nagar West. The project has caused severe inconvenience to residents,
as roads have been dug up and civic services have been affected.
| Photo Credit: VEDHAN M
As the Greater Chennai Corporation has started giving permission for digging up of roads to facilitate piped natural gas supply to households through underground pipelines, residents have reported an increase in civic issues, including frequent disruption in electricity and water supply and sewage overflow.
Councillors have started meetings with civic agencies to resolve the civic issues immediately. G.V. Nagavalli Prabhakaran, councillor of ward 88, says she conducted meetings last week with Metro Water and Tangedco to resolve the issues reported by residents.
Officials intervened
“On a stretch, along Mahatma Gandhi Road, in ward 88, three residents reported problems in electricity supply and four residents complained about water supply issues. As the complaints were increasing, we requested officials for immediate restoration of the services,” says Ms. Prabhakaran.
“They were unable to identify the problems for one week. After residents complained about the delay in restoration two days ago, the workers restored the services, only after senior officials intervened,” she says.
Ward 104 councillor T.V. Semmozhi says the risk of flooding during the monsoon is expected to increase because of the work on the gas supply network. “They are laying pipelines from Tiruvallur, through Avadi, the Ambattur Industrial Estate and New Avadi Road, towards Nungambakkam and Valluvar Kottam. As the work is expected to be taken up along many roads ahead of this northeast monsoon, flood preparedness has to be improved this year,” he says.
The commercial stretch of Devar Nagar at Padi, which has more than 100 shops and which is a vital link between Anna Nagar West and the Kolathur-Korattur areas, has been grappling with a severe disruption in the civic services because of the project. Heavy machinery used for the project has been left in front of the shops, residents say. The deployment of heavy machinery, without information, has resulted in a decline in customers visiting the shops, say shopkeepers.
“Our daily sales have plummeted since the equipment is parked right in front of our stores,” says Vala Subramani, a shopkeeper.
Shopkeepers suffer losses
On an average, shopkeepers report ₹5,000 in losses a day. The issue was compounded by heavy rain on June 18, which turned the bitumen-paved stretch slushy, causing hardship to pedestrians and vehicle-users.
The school zone in Anna Nagar West, which houses Chennai Public School, SBOA School, Velammal School, Spartan School, and Government Girls Higher Secondary School, has been affected more. Parents and students are finding it difficult to use the muddy stretch, says a resident.
Regular commuters, including those working in the TVS Lucas and Saravana Stores areas, are running into delays. “What used to be a straight route has become a nightmare to navigate,” says R. Karthi, a resident. As the road has turned muddy, residents are worried about their safety. Devotees going to the Padi Sivan Temple have also been affected.
No prior information
“The digging work started without information. This is not the first time that the road has faced such a disruption. In the past year alone, the road has been dug up five to six times for various projects. It is yet to be restored. The road was temporarily patched with sand for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s visit to a nearby government ground for a party meeting on July 14, 2023, but no restoration followed,” said a resident.
The shop-owners have also highlighted another challenge: their inability to bring loads and goods to their shops because of the blocked roads. As the gas distribution network is set to expand to congested areas such as Nungambakkam and T. Nagar, traders have demanded prior information about the work in commercial areas and coordination among all civic agencies.
“We have to carry the goods on our shoulders to our shops,” says V. Subramani. Residents and shop-owners have urged the authorities to expedite the restoration of the roads after the project.
“We understand the necessity of the gas pipeline, but the current state of the road is unbearable,” says V. Mahesh Boopathy a resident of Padi.
Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu president A.M. Vikramaraja says the government should ensure that the work is implemented without affecting the trade.
Restoration soon
The Greater Chennai Corporation has said measures are being taken to restore the roads after the work and mitigate problems like flooding.
At the coordination meetings conducted last week, officials said restoration would be completed shortly. Some of the damaged roads, such as Mogappair East Main Road and Anna Nagar West Sixth Avenue, were relaid recently. For now, civic officials were asked to ensure safety and accessibility, officials said.
(With inputs from Nandhabalan J.K.)
- Telegram
SEE ALL
PRINT