A manhole cover and a sequence of events

The protruding manhole lid at Bazullah Road in T. Nagar | Photo Credit: Tom Cijo After the remedial action was taken around the protruding manhole lid. | Photo Credit: Tom Cijo An OFC-related fault necessitated digging at the spot. | Photo Credit: Tom Cijo In its T. Nagar edition dated August 30, 2006, The Hindu Downtown ran an article, “A safety hazard on busy Bazullah Road” calling attention to a protruding manhole cover that reflected the behaviour of a school bully on the corridor, sticking a leg out and tripping unsuspecting fellow students.Only that the problem on Bazullah Road in Ward 133 of Greater Chennai Corporation was bigger and not the least bit funny. According to eyewitness accounts, including one by a shopkeeper at a small business nearby, two-wheeler riders were bumping into the manhole cover and there would be a fall now and then.After The Hindu Downtown raised this concern, the manhole was neatly cemented around its outer perimeter, providing a slope that would help wheels ease over it. This intervention was almost immediate. And later, there was digging: a pit extending right into the earth where the manhole was.A GCC official familiar with the development on the ground, quite literally in this case, noted that the manhole was providing access to ducts running underneath to carry optic fibre cables (OFCs). Following the article, when GCC took up the matter with them, they promptly set things right to ensure road users’ safety. However, immediately thereafter, an OFC-related fault necessitated the digging, and for which they sought GCC’s permission, the official pointed out, adding that when they put the manhole lid back in after closing the trench, it would be ensured that it is not “conspicuous” and not does cause any threat to pedestrians’ safety. Published - September 08, 2026 02:31 pm IST