On the evening of March 17, stagnant sewage was pumped out from the intersection of First Main Road and First Cross Street at Lambert Nagar in Virugambakkam by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).
The next morning, with sewage overflowing again, the exercise was repeated.
According to Freddy R Jayapalan, president, Lambert Nagar Residents Welfare Association, sometimes, in a day, the residents would have to call CMWSSB three to four times to attend to sewage overflows.
The intersection at Lambert Nagar is hit by this issue, since the November 2020 rains. With the rains in January, it worsened, adds Jayapalan.
Residents and office-bearers of the Association say CMWSSB quick-fixes would not do. “CMWSSB workers clear the overflowing water, but the problem seems to do with a clog. It needs to be identified and cleared,” says Jayapalan.
Lambert Nagar sewage pipes are connected to the two sewage pumping stations of CMWSSB — at Nesapakkam and Koyambedu.
Association office-bearers suspect a problem at the pumping stations could be causing the sewage overflow.
“Providing a lasting solution may entail cutting the busy Arcot Road and Vembuli Amman Kovil and so, CMSWBB may be resorting to stopgap arrangements,” says Commander P.V. Francis (retd), joint secretary of the Association.
The Association points out that a few neighbouring localities — Munuswamy Salai in K.K.Nagar, Loganathan Street and Vembuli Amman Kovil Street in Virugambakkam — are also plagued by this issue, and that could be contributing to the overflow in Lambert Nagar
“It is not helping us even when overflowing sewage is pumped out. Within a few hours, we have to again call CMWSSB. Because, stagnant sewage from another locality flows into Lambert Nagar.
Likewise, when sewage is pumped out at any of our neighbouring localities, sewage stagnant in Lambert Nagar and other localities flow into this locality. So, we badly need a lasting solution benefitting residents of our neighbouring colonies as well,” says Jayapalan.
The recent problem also exposed the need for replacing the sewage pipes with new ones.
“The existing sewage pipes were laid in early 1990s, when the colony was newly formed. Then there were around 70 independent houses. With many apartments having come up over the years, the population has increased multifold. And the existing sewage pipes are unable to take the current load,” says Francis. In some houses, sewage entered the closets in washrooms causing residents to move to top floors and some shifted to their relatives’ place.
Due to this issue, senior citizens have to endure much inconvenience.
“In January, the problem was terrible and I moved to my daughter’s house in Anna Nagar,” says S. Manonmani, a senior citizen.
Anjana Vyas.H who has aged parents at home says they are unable to sit in the balcony and enjoy their leisure hours, due to the stench. Another senior citizen, Suresh Kumar.B, says he is unable to go for his morning walks
The Association also pointed out that their groundwater has got contaminated and wells in some houses bore evidence of this. “The sewage has entered my well. Once a lasting solution is found for the problem, I will clean the well, an additional expenditure. Another proof for groundwater pollution is a waterbody in our locality: It is contaminated with sewage,” says Jayapalan.
Residents keep lodging complaints about this with the CMWSSB’s online grievance redress cell.
“However, CMWSSB keeps closing the complaint stating that it has been attended to once the stagnant sewage is pumped out from the intersection. But within a few hours, sewage begins to overflow again and we again register a fresh complaint,” says Uma Jayaraman.
The Association also wants the Greater Chennai Corporation to look into this issue because CMWSSB is letting out the stagnant sewage into stormwater drains.
In this respect, a CMWSSB official agrees that the department has been receiving complaints from Lambert Nagar residents.
“The problem is to do with a clog. We are attending to it. It will be solved soon,” says the official.
