Cave in on R.K. Mutt Road disrupts traffic

A busy part of R.K. Mutt Road caved in on Thursday due to a leak in an old sewer line, disrupting traffic on New Year’s day.

Tamizhvanan, a fruit vendor, said cracks appeared on the road around noon, and a small portion began to sink as the day progressed. “A few people here asked a traffic police personnel to put up a barricade. As the police placed the barricade, the road caved in,” he said.

Traffic was hit badly as people thronged temples, shops, and other public places for New Year celebrations. The road, roughly seven metres wide, is a major connecting route, but vehicle flow was restricted to about half of the stretch close to the junction. Gopal, who owns a shop on the road and was one of those who alerted the police, said this was the first time this portion had collapsed. Traffic police personnel said Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) workers and volunteers assisted them in regulating traffic and guiding pedestrians.

A CMWSSB official said, “The pipe was laid 25 years ago. Whether it is a small hole or a breakage will be ascertained at night when the traffic eases. Repair of the pipe and road may be completed in two days.”