Chennai: The tragic death of a two-year-old in Tiruchi, has taught everyone a hard lesson, with respect to open borewells and pits.
Following the incident, Chrompet residents seek the closure of several manholes and canals, on a war-footing basis, before any untoward incident occurs.
Speaking on this, Lakshmi, a resident of Saraswathipuram, opined, ‘It is a struggle everyday to cross the drainage here, and reach the other side, as most of the children in our area, study in the school that is in the main road. As of now, we are forced to walk on the few stones that are placed in the corner of the pathway. Many accidents have happened here. Women, children and the elderly, tend to miss their balance and fall into the drain. There is a bridge for the parallel street, but we don’t have one’.A similar situation prevails in Parvathypuram, a residential area near Saraswathipuram.
The locals here requested the concerned officials to construct a small bridge over the open canal, that can be used by pedestrians and bikers, so that residents will be able to access the main road easily.
Likewise, Rajendhra Prasadh Road, that connects the residential areas of Hasthinapuram and Chitlapakkam, is damaged and is filled with a number of potholes, paving way for water-logging in the locality. This route in which buses and water tanker ply, is accessed by students of a couple of private schools in the same area.
According to R Ramadas, a resident of Barathipuram, ‘There are a handful of open manholes in Balaji Nagar and are covered with temporary arrangements like bricks and tree branches. This should be looked into at the earliest’.