The residents of Bheemanna Garden Street in Alwarpet have made a request to the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), to replace the sewerage pipes. The sewage lines on the stretch from T.T.K. Road till the intersection of Bawa Road and Ananda Road were damaged a few years ago and have remained in that condition, contaminating the groundwater in the neighbourhood.
“Our open wells and borewells have been contaminated with sewage water from the broken pipelines. We cannot clean the wells until the pipes are replaced. We sent multiple representations to officials of CMWSSB and also took up the issue at public grievance redressal and open house meetings. Every time, the officials assure us of corrective action, but nothing happens after that,” says Rajan E. Murali, a resident of Alwarpet.
He adds that the residents are dependent on water cans.
As a temporary arrangement, CMWSSB staff carry out patchwork to arrest seepage of sewage from the pipelines. “However, the residents need a permanent solution,” he says.
