In Bethaniapuram, sewage flows on the road. Yes. It is unstoppable. People here say they have ‘learnt’ to live with it.
Recently, during the run-up to the election, when the sitting MLA and AIADMK candidate Sellur K. Raju visited the ward seeking votes (the ward is part of the Madurai West Assembly constituency), his campaign was interrupted by residents at least four times. They were annoyed as none of the civic authorities had taken steps to stop sewage flowing on the roads.
Though Mr. Raju quickly reacted saying that it was a ploy to defame him by his political opponents, the fact remained that sewage flowed freely in the ward even after election.
When The Hindu team visited the ward, be it Nagu Nagar 1 street, Mettu Theru, Pandiarajapuram or INTUC Colony, sewage was everywhere.
Many residents on seeing us said, “With narrow lanes, we not only live amidst the unpleasant odour in the air, but also encounter several skin diseases..” Vimala, a home maker in Nagu Nagar, said and added that despite boiling it, pungent smell stayed in the water.
Rajalakshmi, a student of Corporation School at Pallavan Nagar, said that many residents kept their windows closed as the smell of sewage entered homes. Such was the ambience, she narrated.
The thickly populated ward, which is situated off Vaigai River and close to Kalavasal and Kochadai, has other woes as well. Residents claimed that garbage removal from dumper bins was not done regularly. Street lights were not working and for everything they had to rely on the councillor, who would come to their help.
Though some of the lanes, to name a few, Matha Koil Street and NSK Street, have paver block finish tiles, the failure to provide underground drainage system has irked residents. There is a Corporation-run elementary school, which too has very poor amenities in place. According to a teacher, the children experienced mosquito menace even during this season, which was mainly due to stagnant sewage remaining on the roads for days together.
Apart from this, dumping of waste and garbage of all sorts on the storm water drains in the locality has added to the woes of residents.
The PWD authorities said that any open space, which belonged to the government, had turned into a dumping spot in the ward.
The councillor, K. Muthukaruppan of the AIADMK, said that he had been responsible for paver block finish roads in the ward. While thanking the Corporation authorities, he admitted that sewage was flowing on the roads in his ward and hoped the drainage system would be checked before rainy season.
As for drinking water distribution, he said that largely the ward was low lying. Even a mild shower would lead to inundation of many stretches.
Wherever tap water supply was there, it continued and there was no problem, while for those who could not get water from taps, supply through tankers was done, he added.
However, with as many as 152 roads in his ward measuring 20 feet, 94 stretches measuring 15 feet and 25 other roads measuring just 10 feet, lorry supply was impossible on the small lanes/bylanes.
This is a thickly populated ward, wherein the density is pretty high.
People preferred the location as it was accessible to both the city and peripheries. Buses and share autos are available from as early as 4 a.m. till midnight.
When asked about the menace of TASMAC outlets, the councillor said that whenever he got information of nuisance, he sought the assistance of police.
He was hopeful of getting the remaining development works completed and that the authorities would find a permanent solution to the sewage menace.
