Chennai: Woman falls into open stormwater drain pit

CHENNAI: An unbarricaded, storm water drain pit under construction turned villain yet again when a 55-year-old woman fell in near Pammal on Thursday. While police have not registered any case against the St Thomas Mount-cum-Pallavaram Cantonment Board, under which the area comes, the victim, Vijayakumari was left injured.

The pit on Bajanai Koil Street had been left open and there were neither barricades nor sign boards to alert road-users. With no temporary arrangements made by cantonment board officials, residents had placed wooden planks at a few points to cross the pit. Vijayakumari was walking on one such plank when she slipped and plunged in. The protruding iron rods pierced her hands, legs and she suffered injuries to the chest too.

Hearing her cries, a worker at the site and some shopkeepers rushed to her side. "Despite repeated requests, the Cantonment Board has refused to put up barricades. I was lucky to survive," Vijayakumari said later.

Parthiban, an activist from Pammal, said that despite being aware of the approaching monsoon, officials began work only three weeks ago. "Every time it rains, the stretch becomes dangerous." When contacted, Board officials said barricades with reflective tapes would be installed soon.



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