CHENNAI: Motorists and pedestrians are in danger as a manhole of a storm water drain, located in the middle of the road, is half broken in Kodambakkam.

A shop owner on Sivan Koil Street in Kodambakkam said that the manhole breaks frequently despite Chennai Corporation officials replacing it. “Yesterday (Friday) civic employees replaced a damaged manhole with a new one. But it got completely damaged within a few hours. As far as I know, the lid of the manhole has been replaced 4 times,” he said.

He added that heavy vehicles including water lorries use the road. The manhole lid breaks down due to the heavy load, he said.

It may be noted that the storm water drain on Sivan Koil Street was constructed before the monsoon season of previous year. Unlike other roads, where storm water drains will be on the side of the roads, drains on Sivan Koil Street run in the middle. Due to this, vehicles run over manholes.

Moreover, the civic body failed to properly repair the road after the completion of the drain works. As the top of the drain is of cement concrete, the road is bituminous tar that makes the road uneven.

When DT Next visited the spot on Saturday late evening, some residents had closed the broken manhole with a plywood board and placed twigs to warn motorists. Shop owners and motorists urged the civic body to find a permanent solution to the issue.

When asked, a Chennai Corporation official said that a new manhole lid will be placed and steps will be taken to maintain it.