Residents exasperated with recurring subsidence on Perambur Barracks Road
The Hindu
Officials blame the problem on sewage pipeline burst and leak of toxic gases that cause the sand to erode which subsequently caused a patch of the road to sink
Though the 15 foot subsidence that suddenly appeared on Perambur Barracks Road, near Ashtabujam Road intersection was fixed recently, locals remain apprehensive about crossing the stretch, which they claim is prone to such cave ins.
A portion of the road caved in on November 26 and was fixed within a few days. During this period, the entire road had to be blocked and the buses diverted, causing inconvenience to regular commuters.
“The officials don’t bother about fixing roads unless something serious happens. And even if it is fixed in a couple of days, why do these cave ins happen frequently these days?” asks Premkumar, who owns a shop near the intersection. “The same thing happened a year ago and the workers came and fixed it in three days,” he says referring to a cave-in in 2021, which happened merely a few metres away from the recent one.
According to officials, both cave-ins were due to a burst sewage pipeline and the toxic gases from the sewage lines have caused the sand to erode, which led the road to collapse.
“When a portion of the road collapsed, there was nothing inside it. There was no soil, only cement and old pipes,” says Selvi, a resident in Perambur Barracks Road. “All the soil underneath had eroded and it was fully hollow.” According to the residents, cave-ins are not their only problems. “The storm-water drains are not closed properly and we fear unless an accident happens, this issue too won’t be fixed,” says Mr. Premkumar.