Residents seek steps to prevent overflow of sewage onto roads
Residents across the city have demanded that measures be taken to reduce the risk of sewage overflowing onto the streets. Meanwhile, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has planned to levy a fine on those responsible for illegal sewage connections that pollute storm-water drains (SWDs).
As work on stopping illegal sewage discharge from various areas has already started, residents have urged civic agencies to improve infrastructure in areas where the connections have been removed to prevent public health hazards.
S. Dandapani of Anand Nagar Main Road, Thoraipakkam, said: 'Sewage problem has emerged as a serious issue in our area. As there is no sewer network here, residents clear the sewage using tanker lorries. But most of them release it into the SWDs or onto vacant plots, leading to public health problems. GCC should take stringent action against violators, and prevent overflow of sewage onto the road.'
Councillor Fatima Ahmed Muzaffer said the blocks in SWDs in areas without sewer network leads to sewage overflow.
Work on disconnecting sewage flow from Anna Nagar Tendral Colony First Street to Otteri Nullah has been completed, and the civic body has started identifying houses that release sewage into drains.
DMK councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said work on identifying such houses was under way in areas such as Kambar Kudiyiruppu.
'We will prevent pollution of Otteri Nullah. Residents have requested the GCC to take measures to prevent overflow of sewage when illegal sewage connections are disconnected,' he said.
President of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents Welfare Associations A. Francis said public health issues had increased in the area due to sewage pollution of SWDs.
'We have requested residents not to let sewage into the drains. We have also enjoined the government to prioritise the construction of sewer network infrastructure in added areas. It has been a delay of more than 14 years — added areas are yet to get proper sewer network. Storm-water drains and vacant plots have turned into breeding grounds of mosquitoes,' he added.
R. Hariharan, a resident, said the illegal discharge of sewage by neighbouring apartment complexes had contaminated water in his well. 'Our well water that we use for gardening smells like sewage. Plants in the garden are also dying because of polluted water,' he said.
North Chennai resident K. Nammazhwar said sewage was flowing in the canal in Thanikhachalam Nagar in Madhavaram zone, indicating a rise in illegal discharge of sewage into the drains in the locality. 'The GCC should prevent illegal sewage flow in the canal. This is the right time to implement alternative engineering solutions to prevent sewage overflow,' he said.
GCC officials said the number of illegal sewage connections had increased in many areas when compared to more than 1.2 lakh illegal connections estimated a few years ago.
Photo: Akila Eswaran
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