In an effort to prevent flow of solid waste from households into the Uyyakondan canal, the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation (TCC) has set up a filter chamber at Irudhayapuram on a pilot basis.
The project implemented at a cost of Rs. 18 lakh was aimed at preventing solid waste such as plastic bags, bottles, and clothes from flowing into the canal.
As per the project, five filters have been established in a chamber, which collects sewage water and other solid waste from houses and hotels in Varaganeri and Irudhayapuram Thopputheru. The filters detain solid wastes at different stages.
There was a filter to arrest silt and sand from the sewage water. Besides, there was a provision to absorb chemical waste and bacteria by using the wastewater to cultivate a few plants.
The effect of the system was visibly seen at a point where the Varaganeri sewage water confluences into the Uyyakondan canal. There is hardly any solid waste at the confluence point, which was inspected by the Collector Jayashree Muralidharan on Wednesday.
She instructed the corporation officials to take steps to make a provision to close the chamber to prevent bad odour emanating from it. She directed them to establish filter chambers at nine more places.
R. Chandran, Chief Engineer of the corporation, told The Hindu that the system was functioning well. Filtered sewage water had been sent for Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and private laboratories for measuring the biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand.
It had been identified that untreated sewage water was flowing into the Uyyakondan canal at 34 places in the city. It had been proposed to establish filter chambers at nine places, including Alwarthoppu, Voikal Mettutheru, N.M. Pallivasan Street, Palakkarai, and Edatheru.
A few organisations, including “Thanneer”, had been carrying out a campaign to prevent pollution of the Uyyakondan canal, which originates from the Cauvery near Pettavaithalai and traverses about 69 km up to Vazhavanthankottai tank.
