On one side of the road leading to Thiruneermalai is the sprawling Thiruneermalai lake and on the other, lush green farmlands. Naturally, the lake is the lifeline of the farmlands, but here it is anything but that. The lake has been reduced to one big ‘stink pot’, thanks to indiscriminate disposal of sewage.
Residents complain that tanker lorries dump sewage into the canals, adding that the authorities concerned turn a blind eye to the open abuse. “The farmlands are leased from the Thiruneermalai Temple Trust and about 30 to 40 farmers have invested their money and hard labour to grow the crops. The lake is brimming with sewage. What they want is clean water for irrigation but what they get is sewage,” says Pugalventhan V., a resident and local activist.
He says that every day, sewage mixed with chemicals is released into the canals which flow into the Adyar river. He alleges that private tanker operators bring sewage from various parts including the Chromepet Government Hospital and dump it here. Pugalventhan further says that other tanker operators bring in raw sewage and untreated effluent from tanneries in Nagalkeni and let it into the canals. It goes on from morning to night and the officials do not seem to be bothered about the pollution in the waterbody or damage to the crops, he adds.
Pugalventhan says he sent two petitions to the Collector’s Office in Kancheepuram in September last year, seeking information about the discharge of effluents and sewage. He received a reply from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board stating that chemical waste from the nearby tanneries and industries were being let into the river only after it was treated at a Common Effluent Treatment Plant. However, his petition about raw sewage was rejected. “The reason stated was that since the petition concerns the Thiruneermalai panchayat, it was rejected by the Collectorate. Instead, they could have forwarded the petition to the panchayat and sought a response. The official apathy has put the farmers in great distress,” he says.
Officials from Thiruneermalai Panchayat could not be reached for comment.
