Residents have complained about height violations in 42 roads of Chennai and 203 stretches in other districts using GPS-tagged photographic evidence of an increase in height of newly laid roads.Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption watchdog, has compiled the list based on crowdsourced data, with 157 residents volunteering to document 245 specific instances of road height violations from across the State using GPS-tagged photographic evidence. Residents in C.P. Ramasamy Road, T.T.K. Road, Cenotaph Road, Ashok Nagar Eleventh Avenue, Besant Nagar First Main Road, AGS Colony Second Main Road, Mogappair West Main Road, Canal Bank Road, and R.A.Puram have complained about the issue.Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan said: “In places like Mugalivakkam, the houses have gone almost one to two feet below the road level. Chennai is one of the most affected. The report recommends systemic changes that the government should immediately make.”“When road height increases, the houses get flooded because of the decrease in height. When the road is raised, the platform is at the same height as the road. Wasteful tenders are floated to raise platforms. Wasteful expenditures are made to raise manholes and silt drains. Raising road height upsets stormwater drain networks as well,” said Mr. Venkatesan.The report seeks immediate government intervention to enforce road-milling regulations and protect residential properties. The crisis stems from contractors routinely bypassing the mandatory cold milling. Consequently, each new layer elevates the street level, artificially plunging adjacent homes below the road level. Elevated roads act as funnels, directing rainwater and raw sewage directly into low-lying houses during monsoons. Homes that previously required stepping up now require stepping down, creating hazardous physical barriers for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Unmilled roads result in dangerously sunken manholes and utility chambers, which frequently cause two-wheeler accidents. Residents are forced to spend exorbitant amounts, sometimes as high as ₹40 lakh, to elevate their ground floors to escape flooding, the report said. The residents have also demanded financial compensation from the government. Published - August 30, 2026 07:52 pm IST