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Monday, Jul 09, 2007
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Tamil Nadu
K. Manikandan
An eyesore: Sewage being let into ‘Soolai Thaangal’ lake in Medavakkam.
TAMBARAM: Several waterbodies in the southern suburbs of Chennai continue to be contaminated by the discharge of raw and untreated sewage from domestic and commercial establishments. In the absence of sewage projects and because of a poor compliance with norms stipulated by government agencies on handling and disposal of sewage, water resources continue to fall a victim to the onslaught of unplanned development, according to elected representatives and activists. For instance, waterbodies in Nanmangalam and Medavakkam, both near Tambaram, are prone to contamination because of the discharge of raw and untreated sewage, residents complained. Sewage from an apartment complex in Medavakkam was let out into the ‘Soolai Thaangal’ lake through concrete drains specially built to drain the sewage, residents near the waterbody said. A majority of residents of a dozen localities around this lake in Medavakkam panchayat depended on this waterbody for recharge of groundwater. Further, two surface wells and an equal number of borewells met the drinking water needs of these dozen areas of Medavakkam panchayat, they said. According to the residents, the flow of water through drains is just a trickle during daytime. But after the sunset, sewage gushes through the drains, emitting an unbearable stench. There has been a marked decline in the quality of water in domestic wells around the ‘Soolai Thaangal’ lake, residents of Ambedkar Nagar said. Most of them belong to the economically weaker sections, said Amudha Tiruneelakantan, councillor of the St. Thomas Mount panchayat union, from Medavakkam. However, representatives of the apartment complex denied reports of sewage being let out into the open and said they had taken all precautionary measures before discharging excess water outside. In similar instances at Nanmangalam, sewage from a gated township is let out into a sprawling lake at night. Ward members of Nanmangalam panchayat and office-bearers of Exnora International in Keelkattalai, who have documented the problem, regretted that government agencies’ contribution to protection and improvement of waterbodies had been negligible. Executives at the township said they had invested a substantial amount on treatment and recycling of liquid waste generated there. Further, the water let out into the open was well within the parameters stipulated by authorised Central Government agencies, they said. However, residents and activists are not satisfied. They said local bodies in urban or rural areas should be made accountable for the condition of natural resources in their jurisdiction. The district administration and the Government should take greater interest in protecting waterbodies, the activists said.
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