Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Accent on underground drainage

Photo: M. Periasamy

To save lives: Mayor R. Venkatachalam (second right) leads a rally in the city on Wednesday to create awareness on the dangers of using manual labour to clean underground drainage. Deputy Mayor N. Karthik (right) is in the picture. -

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Corporation representatives on Wednesday took out a rally to create awareness on the underground drainage system and discourage the employment of manual labour for cleaning underground sewers.

Mayor R. Venkatachalam flagged off the rally in the presence of Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Deputy Commissioner S. Prabhakaran and Health Committee Chairperson P. Nachimuthu at the Collectorate.

Over 600 students of Corporation schools marched through Railway Junction, Koniamman Kovil and Big Bazaar Street and reached the Corporation's head quarters.

On Tuesday, Commissioner Anshul Mishra and the Mayor meet representatives of restaurants, lodges, cinemas, hospitals and other establishments to ask them to stop the use of people to clean sewage tanks and manholes.

Mayor R. Venkatachalam said the 70-odd representatives were also told that they should construct diaphragm chambers to prevent entry of solid waste into the sewerage system.

It was important that food wastes and carry bags from hotels, gloves and plastic items from hospitals, as well as sachets and other waste from cinemas did not enter the drains because they would choke the flow of sewage and result in overflow onto roads.

As for the entry of men into the tanks, he said that a Government order and direction from the Madras High Court had clearly spelt out that cleaning of blocks should not be done employing people.

The Corporation was merely trying to convey the import of the orders and the penal action the owners of the establishments would face for violation. The Corporation officials told the gathering about the effects of poisonous gases on those who entered such tanks.

Mr. Venkatachalam also said that the Corporation had lorries with necessary equipment to clean the chocked sewerage system and had asked the representatives to make use of the facility.

The civic body also offered to share its expertise regarding the construction of diaphragm chamber. Area engineers would be available to offer suggestions on how to construct the chamber.

To make matters easier, the civic body would construct four such chambers – one each in the four zones – to enable people to get an idea regarding the structure.

Commissioner Anshul Mishra said the Corporation was ready to help wedding halls if they came forward to deposit their wastes in a bin.

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