Chennai Citizen Connect: Over-raised manhole chamber on Madhavaram road poses safety risk

CHENNAI: Motorists and residents across the city are increasingly frustrated by uneven road surfaces and poorly maintained sewage manhole covers on both main and interior roads, which significantly disrupt daily commutes.

Specifically, regular users of Moolachatram Main Road in Madhavaram have complained about a large bump built over a manhole in the middle of the road, as it occupies road space, obstructs vehicle movement, and poses a high risk of accidents.

According to residents of Ganapathy Nagar, Bank Colony, and neighbouring areas, hundreds of motorists use Moolachatram Main Road daily as a primary route to reach Madhavaram Milk Colony Road. They argue that the poorly designed manhole structure has effectively reduced the usable width of the road.

S Mani, a resident of Arul Nagar, said, "For more than three months, I have been witnessing the danger posed by this concrete structure. Motorists often fail to notice the elevated manhole cover while making a turn, and vehicles hit the slope-like structure, causing drivers to lose control."

Echoing similar concerns, M Sridar, an auto driver from Cholavaram, highlighted, "The width of the chamber extends three to four feet from the middle of the road. While two-wheelers can navigate the narrow gap to pass, auto and car drivers require significant skill to manoeuvre around the area safely."

Responding to these grievances, an official from Chennai Metro Water explained, "A valve chamber is located below the manhole, which serves as one of the valves for the Madhavaram-Manali drinking water pipeline. So we cannot reduce the height of the valve, we created a slope-like structure to mitigate the impact and prevent accidents."