Mylapore residents tremble over stormwater drain work

Chennai: The storm water drain work allegedly started without any prior information about two months ago at PS Sivaswamy Salai in Mylapore is damaging several houses in the area, residents’ rue. They complain that at least five houses have been damaged due to the work.

“No precautionary measures have been taken before the work began to ensure that the properties were not damaged. The workers usually start work around 11 pm and the vibrations at night are scary. This goes on till 3 in the morning, every day. Adding to our woes is the power cut,” said Jayashree, a resident of the area.

She added that when they complain about the issue, the workers pay no heed and say they could complain to anyone. “We are asked to stay indoors and the makeshift bridge that has been put up across the pit dug for drains to enable us reach our houses would also be removed in a couple of days. We don't know how to access the road then.”

This has also hit the business of the shopkeepers, who say the residents are now scared to go to the shops across wobbly bridges and crossing cracking walls. “Suddenly one morning there was a huge pit dug outside my shop with no access to the road. I spent money from my pocket to make a bridge using wooden planks,” said one of the shopkeepers.

Also, the Sivaswamy Salai provides a bus link from areas around Mandaiveli to other parts of the city. Motorists rue that even when the work is being undertaken, buses and other heavy vehicles continue to use the road, due to which accidents have become a common sight.

When contacted, while some officials declined to comment, others were not available. Repeated attempts to get reactions from the department failed.