Residents complain about frequent damage to manholes in storm water drains this monsoon

Residents have complained about damaged manholes in stormwater drains along many roads in the city this monsoon, increasing the risk to pedestrians.

Residents have also complained that the damaged manholes, which pose a safety risk to pedestrians, have not been replaced even after several days of registering complaints on the GCC helpline 1913. For instance, GCC has not repaired the damaged manhole near Pantheon Road Bridge after a complaint was registered on helpline 1913 on Friday.

Ward 61 councillor Fatima Ahmed Muzaffer said many manholes in stretches such as Langs Garden Road and Pantheon Road have been damaged and officials have said that they will undertake repair works only after Pongal.

 “The risk of injury to pedestrians is high, and it is life-threatening. The construction quality of manholes has to be improved. It is a hindrance for pedestrians. Manholes are constructed in a better way in foreign countries. I am planning to talk about this issue in the Council meeting,” she said.

Nammazhwar of the Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations said manholes in stretches such as Kolathur Balaji Nagar Main Road have been damaged. “We should explore the feasibility of steel manholes which may not get damaged easily. Cement concrete manholes get damaged,” he said.

Ward 88 councillor G.V. Nagavalli said the movement of heavy vehicles on the silt catch pits near the manholes has led to damage and the residents have requested GCC to use stronger materials such as steel that do not get damaged easily.

GCC officials from the Storm Water Drain Department said the civic body has enough stock of the manholes in the 15 zones to replace the damaged ones immediately after complaints are received.

Over 1.5 lakh manholes have been created in stormwater drains across the city to facilitate cleaning of the drains ahead of the Northeast monsoon. The distance between the manholes was reduced from 10 metres to five metres to clean the drains, officials said.