The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Move to check entry of raw sewage into drains

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Move to check entry of raw sewage into drains

Staff Reporter

Metrowater, Corporation have identified 4,110 points

Photo: R.Ragu

Seeking better amenities: Residents of north Chennai hold discussions on developmental issues at the consultation workshop on Chennai City Development Plan on Saturday. —

CHENNAI: Steps will be taken to plug 4,110 points in the city from where raw sewage was being let into the stormwater drain network, said Sunil Paliwal, Managing Director of the Chennai Metrowater.

Speaking at a citizens’ consultation on Chennai City Development Plan (CDP) here on Saturday, he said that joint teams of the Metrowater and the Chennai Corporation identified these points recently.

A proposal at an estimated cost of Rs.22 crore had been chalked out to augment sewage pipeline capacity in places where the Board was connecting sewage into the stormwater drain network. Such connections, he said, were being resorted to in locations where manholes had collapsed or in view of a repair work.

Mr. Paliwal said that under an agreement with the SIPCOT, it had been decided to recycle and reuse 120 million litres per day of sewage from Koyambedu and Nesapakkam. This water would be supplied to industrial units in Sriperumbudur. The project would be taken up in phases.

He said that 1,881 water-intensive buildings, including hotels, hospitals, marriage halls and slaughter houses, had been identified and directed to build diaphragm chambers. Of these, only 400 had constructed such chambers. Mr. Paliwal cited the case of a popular marriage hall in the heart of the city, which refused to construct a chamber despite the disconnection of sewer line.

Mr. Paliwal said that the Metrowater was undertaking improvement works on both sewer and water networks. He said that 90 km of faulty PVC waterlines would soon be replaced.

Addressing concerns over brine solution from the Minjur desalination plant to be discharged into the sea, he said experts had been consulted and there would be no harm to marine life.

Citizens groups at the consultation held discussions on topics, including improvement to road and rail systems, rehabilitation of waterways and water bodies, environment protection, solid waste management, sewerage infrastructure, coastal area development and urban basic services in north Chennai.

Balakrishnan Elangovan, Consultant – India, Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) programme, said that the Chennai Corporation had requested a consultation on the CDP. Similar consultations would be held in central and south Chennai.

The CDIA is supported by the GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), a funding agency and the Asian Development Bank. It was established to assist Asian cities bridge the planning-infrastructure investment gap.

Speaking about the issues in the area, North Chennai People Rights Federation’s A.T.B. Bose said that residents of north Chennai received only 16 litres water per capita a day as against the requirement of 150 litres . The area lacked proper sanitation facilities, parks and playgrounds. The Buckingham Canal was polluted with industrial waste and there was a need to desilt it, he said.

Another representative of the Federation Ernest Paul said that a good transportation system with more buses and the Metro Rail was a long-felt need of north Chennai.

He said that removal of encroachments on several roads, including Ilaya Thirumal Road, would help to decongest the area.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni and SUSTAIN Managing Trustee G. Devasahayam, director Anand R. Doss and trustee G. Dattatri participated in the programme.

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