By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

The Chennai Corporation, after several years, has started repaving the roads in several streets of Pallikaranai. While residents are happy that the civic body has taken up permanent road restoration work, a new problem has cropped up — a mismatch between the height of the road and the level of the stormwater drain filters.

With filters installed in the stormwater drain network to prevent plastic covers and other materials from clogging the drain, the road contractor avoided paving that portion of the road to keep the filter accessible, resulting in a pothole-like dent.

On Ambedkar Street in Pallikaranai, the difference in height between the newly paved road and the stormwater drain is too much. In some areas, local residents have filled the gap to level the surface, which could cause water stagnation. In other places, the gap in the drain filter poses a serious hazard to both pedestrians and motorists.

S. Vidyasagar,

Pallikaranai

Chennai Corporation responds

A senior official of the Sholinganallur zone of the Greater Chennai Corporation said the old filters would be removed and reinstalled using a concrete mix next week to avoid inconvenience to motorists.

Demand for direct bus service to Besant Nagar

Besant Nagar was once considered an upscale locality with limited demand for public transport. Today, however, it is home to a diverse population from all sections of society.

Despite the presence of a bus terminus, only a few buses currently operate from it. Residents have long been requesting the introduction of direct bus services from Tambaram and Guduvancherry to Besant Nagar. People in south Chennai would benefit from such connectivity, especially for accessing tourist spots and leisure travel to the Besant Nagar beach during weekends.

Guduvancherry