Residents of Nolambur are concerned about sewage being let into the stormwater drains along the service lanes of Tambaram-Maduravoyal Bypass. They allege that tanker service providers indulge in this practice.
The Tambaram-Maduravoyal Bypass is maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
“Many multi-storey residential apartments along the highway do not have underground sewage drainage systems and rely on tanker services to clear their septic tanks. Tanker service providers let the collected sewage into the stormwater drains and this includes sewage collected from Ambattur Industrial Estate, Thiruverkadu, AIBEA Nagar, Jashwanth Nagar, Annamalai Avenue and Reddipalayam. Due to this practice, Nolambur First Avenue Road is particularly affected,” says a resident on condition of anonymity.
A residents welfare association in Nolambur has drawn the attention of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to this issue, but residents say nothing has been done to check this practice.
“During the December 2015 floods, Nolambur was one of worst-affected localities and following this, the width of the stormwater drains was increased. However, discharge of sewage into stormwater drains will defeat the purpose of this exercise,” says a resident.
The Association also made a request to NHAI and GCC to check the practice of dumping garbage and other kinds of rubbish along the service lanes.
“The heaps of rubbish are set to fire,” says the resident.
