Latest news with #UGSS
Time of India
06-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Frequent sewer repairs leave roads in disarray
Chennai: Underground sewerage system (UGSS) work is under way on more than 3,900 streets and residents across the city are caught in a loop of prolonged disruption, dust, and debris. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Roads remain dug up for months, especially in areas such as Perambur, Nungambakkam, Medavakkam, and Sholinganallur, often without prior notice. Residents complain that repeated excavations by different departments — Metrowater for sewer lines, Tangedco for underground cables, and GCC for stormwater drains — have turned many roads unmotorable. Lack of inter-agency coordination has made matters worse, residents say. At Nungambakkam, Metrowater work on 2nd and 5th Streets was abandoned midway, and debris was used to close trenches. A Srinivasan, a resident, said this left the roads in a dangerous state for more than a year. Recently, a second round of digging caused power outages after electricity lines were damaged. On Perambur's Paper Mills Road, civic activist S Arulmozhi said that the road was dug up a year ago and patched poorly, only to be reopened again last week. Several other key roads in north Chennai, including Madhavaram High Road and Medavakkam Tank Road, are facing similar disruptions. Residents of Chinnaiyan New Colony said that freshly relaid roads were dug up again under the North Chennai Development Scheme. "Why wasn't the relaying postponed until all UGSS work was done?" asked C Raghukumar, a resident of Perambur. At Sholinganallur, resident D Palani said stormwater drain and sewage work damaged existing water lines, leading to acute supply shortages. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Workers appear only once or twice a week," he said. A Metrowater official said that 1,329 of the 3,900 streets involve multiple utility works, leading to delays. He said that sewage and drainage systems are designed to last 50 years, and hence multiple inspections are mandatory before road relaying begins. Officials said No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are awaited from various departments and coordination meetings are being held weekly. In severely affected areas such as north Chennai, water tankers are being sent. Metrowater managing director T G Vinay said UGSS work will continue till Sept and pause during the monsoon. All road cuts, he added, will be repaired before the rains begin.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
TNPCB flags need for CCTV, sewage fixes at Putheri Lake
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ( TNPCB ) has directed the Tambaram city corporation to install CCTVs at vulnerable spots around Putheri Lake . This directive comes after an inspection revealed fresh dumping of solid waste and illegal sewage discharge into the water body. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move follows an order by (NGT) Southern Zone, which in July 2022 ordered multiple agencies to protect Putheri Lake from pollution, encroachments, and untreated sewage inflows. During a recent field visit on April 15, TNPCB officials found solid waste dumped along the lake's boundaries, sewage from parts of Tambaram mixing into the stormwater drain, and hyacinth infestation in several parts of the lake. The inspection also noted that overflow from Putheri continues to feed into the Pallikaranai marshland, posing wider environmental risks. Based on these findings, TNPCB has recommended that Tambaram city municipal corporation urgently install CCTV cameras at vulnerable points, construct a continuous fence around the lake bund, and expedite the Underground Sewerage Scheme (UGSS) to cover all unsewered areas. Officials stressed that all stormwater drains connected to Putheri Lake must be free from sewage inflows to prevent further degradation. According to the Tribunal's 2022 directions, Tambaram Corporation was also tasked with tracking private sewage tankers using GPS to prevent illegal dumping into water bodies and ensuring strict enforcement of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Residents around Putheri Lake have repeatedly voiced concerns about deteriorating conditions despite earlier cleanup drives. "Every time it rains, the drains overflow and sewage finds its way into the lake. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Without proper fencing and surveillance, illegal dumping will continue unchecked," said Sumathi D, a resident of Keelkattalai. The TNPCB has also collected water samples from Putheri Lake and is awaiting laboratory analysis, the results of which will be submitted to the Tribunal soon.
