Silt on Trichy city roads impacts air quality, poses risk for commuters

TRICHY: The silt accumulated on many roads in Trichy city after the rainfall has aggravated the woes of road users, especially two-wheeler riders and cyclists.
The air quality index (AQI) of the city, which was already flagged by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as a non-attainment city due to the presence of PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less) in the ambient air, was also impacted by the silt deposit.
The silt accumulation was a result of run-off water entering the arterial roads from residential streets due to faulty storm drains.
Though the surplus water evaporates, the silt is getting deposited on the road causing two-wheelers to slip and skid. Further, the silt enters the atmosphere due to wind and vehicular movement, affecting the quality of ambient air.
As per the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) report, silt accumulation accounts for 42% of air pollution in Trichy. Heavy vehicles leaving construction sites without cleaning their wheels also contribute to the silt on major roads.
While Trichy Corporation has procured two automatic road sweeper trucks at 1.7 crore, the silt on most of the roads has not been cleared. Around 40% of the carriageways of the major roads near the Central bus stand, Anna Nagar Link Road, Sasthri Road and Khajamalai Main Road were covered with the silt deposit.
TNPCB sources said that they had instructed the corporation and the state highways department to sweep the roads periodically to prevent the pollution caused by dust. However, the corporation officials said that sweeping of roads using machinery has faced a setback due to the ongoing underground drainage (UGD) work.
“We have started laying end-to-end roads to prevent dust generation. There are constraints in operating the automated road sweepers amid the UGD work. We will try to operate the specialised vehicles during night,” an assistant commissioner said.