Traffic on Eldams Road, Teynampet, was affected for nearly an hour on Wednesday as residents of neighbouring areas staged a road roko, demanding action to arrest sewer blocks and sewage overflow.
The residents dispersed after a team from Metrowater brought machinery to clear the blocks and the officials assured them of providing a permanent solution.
Residents of streets off Eldams Road, including Periyar Street and Kamaraj Street, complained they had been affected by frequent sewage overflow for several years now.
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The problem is exacerbated after a spell of rains.
K. Narayanaswami, a resident of Periyar Street, said nearly 5,000 families reside on the streets off Eldams Road.
“We don’t have a choice but to walk on the road inundated with sewage. Sewage overflows out of the manholes in our area every other day,” he said.
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K. Kumar, another resident, said people fetched water from the hand pumps in an unhygienic environment. The sewage often gets mixed with the drinking water. Though a team from Chennai Metrowater cleans up the sewer system after receiving complaints, the problem recurs within a few days, he said.
Residents said this was because the sewer pipelines were old with inadequate capacity.
As the piped supply has decreased in the area, several residents depend on the hand pumps for their daily water needs.