Chennai Citizen Connect: Sewage pool beside RSRM hospital as SWD work drags on

CHENNAI: A trench of stagnated sewage runs along a busy stretch near the RSRM Government Maternity Hospital, where stormwater drain work has remained incomplete for months, leaving residents to deal with the stench and daily disruption.

With plastic waste floating on the surface, exposed steel rods protruding out of half-finished concrete, the drain works show little sign of active progress. The stretch, linking Royapuram and Old Washermenpet, is a key but narrow route for buses. Locals say the problem has worsened over time rather than improved.

"What was meant to fix drainage has ended up creating a stagnant channel of sewage," said civic activist R Ramesh. He pointed to damage to an older underground chamber and nearby pipeline connections during the work, which he claims has led to continuous sewage accumulation. "For months, this has just been sitting here with this kind of exposure and smell."

The narrow road also witnesses constant movement of patients, attendants and public transport, even as pedestrians are forced to navigate dug-up edges and narrowed space alongside the open drain.

Residents also flagged inconsistencies in how the drain is being laid, saying sections appear uneven and disconnected.

Similar complaints had surfaced in earlier repair attempts in the area, where incomplete linkages led to repeated water stagnation. The current work, they say, has not addressed those gaps. GCC officials said the site would be inspected and steps would be taken to speed up the work.