Residents of Anaikattuchery village in Tiruvallur district have come out strongly against the proposal of the Thirumazhisai municipality to let treated sewage water into the Cooum River.
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board has been executing the Under Ground Sewage Scheme (UGSS) in Thirumazhisai municipality, as part of which the treated sewage was proposed to be drained into the Cooum by taking the pipeline through Anaikattuchery village.
Mugundhan Kanniappan, a resident of the village, said the Cooum was the main source of drinking water for several villages including Anaikattuchery, Soranchery, Venkattapuram, Ramapuram, Karunagarancherry and Kannapallayam. He said the proposal would not only pollute groundwater but would also affect agricultural activities.
S. Santhi, president, Soranchery Panchayat, said the Cooum was already polluted because the Avadi municipality had been letting in treated sewage water. She said a resolution had been passed in the panchayat meeting against the proposed pipeline.
A senior official of the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), which is executing the project, said that the underground sewage project was almost complete with the authorities waiting for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) clearance.
He said that only treated sewage water, which was fit for dry land cultivation, would be disposed into the river. He confirmed that the project conformed to all the standards fixed by the TNPCB and said that the project would benefit those villages that are against this project also.
