The Tambaram-Velachery road in Chennai has become hazardous for motorists after months of delayed drinking-water pipeline work left stretches covered in mud, slush, potholes and open or poorly restored sections. Recent rain has worsened conditions, with an ambulance overturning on Tuesday and injuring its driver and a nurse.
The pipeline work is being carried out by the Metrowater department to transport drinking water from the Nemmeli desalination plant to the city. The route begins at Tambaram East and passes through Selaiyur, Camp Road, Sembakkam, Medavakkam and Pallikaranai before reaching Anna Road at Guindy.
The Tambaram-Velachery road functions as an alternative to GST Road and serves residential neighbourhoods, educational institutions and shopping areas along its length. One side of the road has been dug up to install large water pipes, while sections where work has reportedly been completed remain without proper resurfacing.
Rainwater has filled several potholes, making them difficult for road users to identify. The resulting mud and slush have caused two-wheelers to skid and forced motorists to slow down, leading to traffic queues at multiple points. The reported ambulance crash took place after the driver lost control of the vehicle. It struck a roadside wall and overturned.
Local residents rescued the injured driver and nurse and took them to Tambaram district headquarters hospital, according to the report. The incident has added to complaints from road users who say the pipe-laying work has been progressing slowly and that the road has not been relaid even where underground work has been completed.
The disruption reflects a coordination gap between utility installation and road restoration. The highways department said it could not take up resurfacing until the road was formally handed back to it. Highways officials have asked Metrowater authorities to complete the pipeline work soon, after which the department said it would relay the damaged sections.
The pipeline alignment is part of a wider effort to extend the distribution of desalinated water from Nemmeli. However, the immediate impact for people using the corridor is a deteriorating road surface, reduced travel speeds, accident risk and recurring congestion. The next operational step identified by the highways department is completion of the pipe-laying work and handover of the road for resurfacing.
