The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Residents flee as sewage water enters houses in Ambattur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Residents flee as sewage water enters houses in Ambattur

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, NOV. 1. Several residents living near the periphery of Thangal Lake at Vijayalakshmipuram, Ambattur, were forced to shift from their houses as sewage water released into the lake overflowed and entered their homes.

More residents are planning to shift as the lake, which has turned into a cesspool since the last decade, continued to overflow due to rains. Roads such as Prakasamgaru Street have been inundated with sewage water.

Groundwater contamination

B.R. Prasad, a resident of a house near the lake, said that besides the foul stench, the residents also were also facing groundwater contamination. Ravi, another resident, complained that the rainwater harvesting system was ineffective as groundwater was contaminated.

Residents alleged that several apartment complexes and houses, which did not have a proper drainage facility, let their wastewater into the lake. Sullage was released despite the Madras High Court's directive that the lake should not be polluted, they said.

The spillover of sewage water occurred as a result of a block in the canal constructed on Patel Road, to let off excess water from the lake.

Residents also questioned the delay in completion of a project to divert the sewage to a sewage pool at Ambattur. As the lake was growing into a breeding ground of mosquitoes, residents demanded that the disposal of sewage be stopped immediately and lake be de-silted.

Residents of Paneerselvam Street, Venkatapuram, also charged that the overflowing sewage let through the open storm water drains spilled on to the roads, rendering them unmotorable.

They also complained that their street had become a makeshift dumping yard for garbage.

A municipal official said action has been taken to let out the excess water from the lake in a regulated manner.

The diversion of sewage water (away from the lake) would also be taken up soon.

As a permanent solution to the problem, the local body would soon commence the underground drainage project, which would be started in two or three months.

The other problems cited by Venkatapuram residents would be looked into, he said.

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