These new SWD covers have caught the attention of many now in Chennai!!
If you consider tree branches, broken furniture, draws, plastic items and bricks etc are just waste and they are of no use, then you could be in for a surprise!!
It has been brought to light by the residents that tree branches, broken furniture and bricks etc are now used as manhole covers or SWD or storm water drains in Chennai. In the very busy Nandanam locality in Chennai for more than a week, two manholes (one along the sidewalk near CMWSSB Park and another outside an apartment complex) have been closed by old wooden furniture such as branches or bricks etc.
On the important Perambur High Road, the SWD and manholes present on the northern side have been damaged badly but covered with concrete slabs instead of manhole doors. This was according to Mr. Raghukumar of Perambur Neighbourhood Development Forum. He spoke about how the covers got broken when unskilled workers tried to open the manhole for desilting work.
Bitter fact is that these broken covers were not replaced. He concluded that the broken covers were present at Venkatraman Street, Patel Road, Srinivasan Street, Kumaraswami Street etc. In localities like Valasaravakkam and Chamiers Road etc, there were broken covers over the manholes.
It was revealed by a senior officer from Chennai Corporation that an illegal outlet of sewage releases gas like sulphide, methane etc that erodes the steel and concrete of the manhole covers. It is learnt that the tenders have always been issued specifying materials suitable for ordinary rainwater systems.
Truth is that the use of chemical erosion resistant materials would be costly. Local engineers or authorities must have the additional manhole covers and that would be ideal. Point is that they must replace the damaged covers during inspection
It must be recalled that in August 2024 the problem related to damaged manhole covers in Chennai was addressed by the GCC or greater Chennai corporation. At that time, GCC had announced plans to assess the conditions of manholes in 15 zones in the city.
It was mentioned by a senior official that CMWSSB maintains 1.6lakhs underground drainage or UGD and GCC maintains 3lakh manholes. Mapping of these manholes has been going on now and once when it gets completed then monitoring would be carried out by an online registry. The damaged ones would be replaced.
