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Time of India
06-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Frequent sewer repairs leave roads in disarray
Chennai: Underground sewerage system (UGSS) work is under way on more than 3,900 streets and residents across the city are caught in a loop of prolonged disruption, dust, and debris. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Roads remain dug up for months, especially in areas such as Perambur, Nungambakkam, Medavakkam, and Sholinganallur, often without prior notice. Residents complain that repeated excavations by different departments — Metrowater for sewer lines, Tangedco for underground cables, and GCC for stormwater drains — have turned many roads unmotorable. Lack of inter-agency coordination has made matters worse, residents say. At Nungambakkam, Metrowater work on 2nd and 5th Streets was abandoned midway, and debris was used to close trenches. A Srinivasan, a resident, said this left the roads in a dangerous state for more than a year. Recently, a second round of digging caused power outages after electricity lines were damaged. On Perambur's Paper Mills Road, civic activist S Arulmozhi said that the road was dug up a year ago and patched poorly, only to be reopened again last week. Several other key roads in north Chennai, including Madhavaram High Road and Medavakkam Tank Road, are facing similar disruptions. Residents of Chinnaiyan New Colony said that freshly relaid roads were dug up again under the North Chennai Development Scheme. "Why wasn't the relaying postponed until all UGSS work was done?" asked C Raghukumar, a resident of Perambur. At Sholinganallur, resident D Palani said stormwater drain and sewage work damaged existing water lines, leading to acute supply shortages. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Workers appear only once or twice a week," he said. A Metrowater official said that 1,329 of the 3,900 streets involve multiple utility works, leading to delays. He said that sewage and drainage systems are designed to last 50 years, and hence multiple inspections are mandatory before road relaying begins. Officials said No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are awaited from various departments and coordination meetings are being held weekly. In severely affected areas such as north Chennai, water tankers are being sent. Metrowater managing director T G Vinay said UGSS work will continue till Sept and pause during the monsoon. All road cuts, he added, will be repaired before the rains begin.
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Set up omni bus stand in Dharmapuri along NH to alleviate passenger woes
DHARMAPURI: Owing to the lack of an omni bus stand along the Salem-Bengaluru national highway, passengers arriving in Dharmapuri in private buses, especially at odd hours, are left stranded for at leats two hours, with little to no last-mile transport options. Residents have urged the district administration to take steps set up a bus stand or at least a designated area along the highway, to alleviate transport concerns of passengers deboarding here. The district lies along the NH 44 highway and is a crucial route for all buses going from south Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru. With trains being limited, hundreds of government and private company employees use omni buses to commute to and from various parts of the state or other states often. Speaking to TNIE, S Arulmozhi, a government employee said, "Nearly a month ago, I had boarded a private bus from my native in Tirunelveli to work here. The bus had dropped me off near Thadangam panchayat around 3 am. At this time, there were no buses or other alternatives available. I had to wait there for at least 45 minutes before I could hire a cab. Moreover, it also cost me about Rs 400 for to reach Dharmapuri which is only 6 km away. Therefore, a designated area must be allotted to drop off passengers where there is access to public transportation." R Saravana Perumal from Dharmapuri, working in a private company in Andhra Pradesh, said, "Even boarding omni buses is a hassle. I had booked a bus to Tiruchendur for a pilgrimage with my family. The bus was supposed to pick us up at a "Lorry rest stop" near the Hogenakkal bypass road by around 11pm. However, the bus arrived over two hours late and we had no access to restrooms or shops to even purchase water. Adding to our woes, it was raining with no shelter in sight. Two other families were also affected like us." Another resident, R Krishnan, said, "The lack of an omni bus stand is the issue. Passengers get dropped off at Thoppur toll gate and they have to board a bus to Dharmapuri bus stand and then change buses there. This is a tedious process and before 6 am, there are very few buses running." Officials in the Regional Transport Office were not reachable for comment.
