Sewage discharged into stormwater drains is a common complaint by residents and during monsoon, this issue often hits alarming levels.
Recently, residents of Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar and Malviya Avenue at Shastri Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur alleged that workers hired by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board to arrest overflowing sewage from manholes, resorted to draining the sewage into the stormwater drain network in the locality.
With huge and lengthy hose pipes and motors, the workers were seen discharging sewage from underground drainage system into the SWDs on Malviya Avenue Third Street and Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Main Road, near Kalakshetra Road, Thiruvanmiyur, say residents.
The stormwater drain network on Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Main Road was flooded with sewage, from a manhole, near the intersection of Valmiki Street, Kalakshetra Avenue First Street and Kalakshetra Road.
The intersection and the area around the intersection was stagnant with sewage, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and motorcyclists.
To arrest the overflowing sewage, the manholes could have been desilted through sewage sucker tankers, say residents.
Geetha R Padmanabhan, social activist and a resident of Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, says, “When I raised the issue with the workers, they said they had been given temporary permission to drain the sewage into stormwater drain percolation pits.” The sewage will flow into the sea and affect the marine life, she says.
Dr TS Radhakrishnan, resident of Sivakamipuram, says, “From the night of November 20, the workers were pumping out water from manholes into percolation pits.”
“During this exercise, the sewage spilled on to the road, causing an inconvenience to motorists and resulting in mosquito breeding.”
The authorities concerned in the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Greater Chennai Corporation have not replied to the mails sent by this correspondent.
