Chennai: Re-laid road on Rameswaram Street damaged after night showers

CHENNAI: The newly laid road on Rameswaram Street in T Nagar, which was laid just two days before Deepavali, has been washed away again following last night’s rain, causing severe hardship to pedestrians and bike commuters.

Rameswaram Street is an important connecting road between the famous shopping hub, Ranganathan Street and the arterial Duraisamy subway. Lakhs of pedestrians and bikers use both these stretches every day.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had laid a new asphalt surface just a day before Deepavali but two days of heavy rain deteriorated the road condition immediately. Twenty days later, GCC officials carried out repair work, but again, Wednesday night’s rain washed away that repair work as well, leaving the road damaged once again.

Motorists, especially two-wheelers, and pedestrians were seen struggling to cross the stretch, and frequent accidents were reported. Although the street has a storm water drain system, residents said it has never functioned properly.

“I’ve been living here for the past 10 years. Most of the time, this street remains in a damaged condition. The newly laid road got damaged in just one rain. EB cables are lying exposed on the street surface, making it difficult to walk. Some pedestrians have tripped over those EB lines,” lamented Viji, a shop owner on Rameswaram Street.

Concurring with her was Ravi, a tea shop owner in the area, who stated: “It is very difficult to ride a bike on this road. I’ve fallen many times in these potholes. Every day someone falls here while riding.”

When contacted, Zone 10 Assistant Engineer told DT Next: “We’ve planned to repair all damaged roads in T Nagar after the rainy season. We’ll take up the work shortly.”