Chennai: In Chennai it may sound like machine guns, but a look out of the balcony will show that optic fibre cables are being laid by a private telecom company.
This deafening noise is the result of a road cutting work and has become a regular feature at midnight in Chennai. And when it is bang in the middle of residential colonies, it inevitably causes a lot of disturbance to residents.
"It is very noisy. We are not able to sleep at all. Even our beds start vibrating with this sound," said Arati, a resident.
Municipal laws clearly prohibit construction, demolition or any work at night that causes noise and air pollution. But strangely, such activities are not checked by either the Chennai Corporation or the city police patrol teams.
"We have permission for this -- from 11 pm to 6 am when there is no traffic," said Selvam, the contractor.
For several months, power cuts had been interrupting the sleep of many in Chennai. Now, there is this new menace.