The Hindu                 16.04.2013

Earth caves in at UGD work spot

Corpn. team of experts will study quality of work: Commissioner.

It had happened in the past and it happened again on Sunday – the concrete earth covering the underground drainage (UGD) slab on Nallampalayam Road in Ward 44 caved in. According to eyewitnesses, the earth caved in to form a crater when a lorry passed over it.

There have been such incidents in the past. And every time a crater was formed, it would remain there on the road for long until a resident or two would dump debris to fill the cavity. Or until Ward 44 Councillor Venthamarai Balu would arrange for some earth to be dumped at the spot.

Traffic hit

On Sunday evening, when the earth caved in, the lorry got stuck affecting the flow of traffic.

On Monday, following a complaint by residents that the quality of underground drainage work was poor, Commissioner G. Latha inspected the spot. Engineer in-charge of JNNURM works P. Ganeshwaran was also present.

She said that the Corporation would form a team of experts to study the quality of work and after it presented a report, the civic body would decide on the next course of action.

Nature of soil

Meanwhile, a representative of the contract agency executing the work said that the frequent caving in of the earth on the road was because of the loose nature of the soil. Plus, there seemed to be erosion of soil because of a leakage in the drinking water pipeline on the road.

He said that the company had not yet completed the work because it had to close the road for traffic. The Corporation was also digging the road for constructing storm water drains. Executing two works would only affect the residents. The company would soon start giving house service connections and while doing so it would work on strengthening the UGD pipeline. He also denied that the quality of work was poor.

The company was engaged in executing the second phase of the UGD work for Rs. 66 crore.