Over 200 ‘dangerous’ speed breakers, manholes across Chennai flagged in ‘citizen audit’
Over 200 unsafe speed breakers and manholes in Chennai were flagged as unsafe by a “citizen-driven” audit released on Thursday. Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department Principal Secretary (PS) D. Karthikeyan said the audit, compiled by Arappor Iyakkam, a non-governmental anti-corruption organisation, will be studied and necessary action will be taken.
According to the audit conducted in June and July 2024 by 1000 volunteers of the NGO who surveyed 467 spots across the city, 201 of the surveyed speed breakers, including those under Greater Chennai Corporation, Iyyapanthangal, Agaramthen and Thiruneermalai, do not meet the regulations of Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the apex body in the nation for laying down design standards for the construction of roads.
Meanwhile, K.V Gopalakrishnan, 54, of Kolathur, said this issue persists in many other areas, which were not part of the survey, such as Senthil Nagar signal, near Retteri, Moolakadai and Madhavaram bus stand. Notably, in February, a report in The Hindu recorded that speed breaker design was brought under scanner after a 34-year-old motorist died after his two-wheeler hit an unmarked speed breaker at Chitlapakkam.
Additionally, the audit claimed 205 surveyed manholes in the 467 locations under Chennai and Tambaram Corporations were considered “dangerous” for motorists as the lids are either above or below the road level. The standards for manhole covers mandated as per ‘IRC 98-2011: Guidelines on Accommodation of Utility Services on Roads in Urban Areas’ document state, “The manhole covers should not protrude over the road surface and should be fixed in level with the existing road. In the course of subsequent renewals of road, the level of manhole covers should also be raised to the level of road. The manhole covers should be so maintained as not to endanger safety.”
Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA) Co-Founder Harsha Koda noted that due to ongoing road cut work, people are using the service lane from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. However, the uneven manholes on this lane pose a threat to drivers in the dark. Mr. Koda, claiming that the ‘Namma Salai’ app is not functioning well, suggested the need for a unified app by the Tamil Nadu government to address road issues across departments.
V. Suresh, 45, a resident of Kathirvedu near Madhavaram noted damaged manholes in the area, posing a risk to vehicles, especially during the monsoon for over a decade. No official has so far addressed the issue, he said.
The audit also mentioned that 61 silt catch pits under GCC have been found to be damaged, as per the document shared by the NGO.
GCC Chairman Standing Committee (Works) N. Chitrarasu mentioned that the Council has requested details on monsoon preparedness works, and a meeting was set for Friday.
Chennai Corporation Mayor R. Priya said, “Chennai was an unplanned city earlier. Many projects such as CMRL [Chennai Metro Rail Limited], Metro Water [of Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board] etc. are ongoing, during which manhole damage may have occurred, but it will be rectified soon by replacing manholes. A tender has recently been called for additional road works worth ₹228 crore after damage owing to the Michaung cyclone [in December 2023] and instructions have been given to contractors to amend manholes and pavements as per the road height simultaneously.” On problems cited in finished roads in use, she said the report will be reviewed and steps will be taken wherever necessary.
There are 23,093 silt catch pits in 1,468 arterial roads across the 200 wards. MAWS PS said the audit will be studied and that, “Damage is bound to happen in certain areas. Efforts will be made to correct the damage mentioned.”
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