4 days ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Green shades damaged by gusty wind pose risk to commuters in Chennai
CHENNAI: The unexpected showers that are sometimes accompanied by gusts have damaged the green shades installed at a few traffic intersections in the city, posing risk to commuters.
Though the Nungambakkam observatory recorded only light rain of around 1.5 cm from the showers on Tuesday, the spell was accompanied by bouts of wind.
Following the rain, the green shade near the new Avadi road junction was found dangling below, at a length that may hit the wind shields of heavy vehicles and potentially throw two-wheeler riders off balance. Last month, commuters told TNIE the shade near the fort station signal was similarly found torn.
North-Chennai based activist Jai Ganesh spotted a torn green shade at GNT Road in Erukkancheri on Monday, tweeting to officials for help. 'This (the fallen net) is posing a serious threat to pedestrians and motorists,' he said in a social media post.
The Chennai corporation had installed the temporary structures during the summer to protect two-wheeler riders from the heat. To mitigate the danger, the residents suggest turning these temporary structures to permanent all-weather structures which can protect commuters from both the rain and the sun, as was envisioned by the corporation when they began the initiative last year. Officials, during then, had discussed replacing the green nets with PVC sheets, which can also turn out to be helpful for those riding in the rain.
