Sajid Hussain, who regularly visits Palavakkam Beach for a morning jog, was surprised to be greeted by a foul smell in the usual salty sea air. As he neared the fishing boats, he found the source of the stench. Raw untreated sewage was draining directly into the sea, gushing from a cement pipe placed underground on New Waterlans Road at Palkalai Nagar.
Locals said that four days ago officials equipped with an earth-mover had dug out a path for the sewage to drain into the sea.
For a year, residents of Kottivakkam Kuppam, predominantly fishermen, were inconvenienced by the constant stagnation of sewage at this spot. The locals had complained on several occasions to the Chennai Ccorporation and to Metro Water asking them to clear this stagnation. Now, to get rid of this menace, local officials have come up with a rather hazardous solution of directly dumping wastewater from surrounding areas into the ocean.
“I had also complained to the local officials about the stagnation. But I am shocked to see the solution they have resorted to. They said in a week’s time they would fully lay the pipe and bury it underneath the shore. Instead, they could construct a simple soak pit or get sewage tankers to transport wastewater to Perungudi STP for treatment,” said Hussain, an engineer who specialises in the reuse of wastewater.
However, local fishermen and their families were oblivious to the difference between treated and untreated sewage and were not aware of the environmental implications of this problem. “But this is what happens at other places in the city too. From pumping stations sewage is let into Adyar River and Buckingham Canal. As long as sewage water does not stagnate near the place we sell fish, we have no problem,” said N Selvazhagan, a fisherman.
When Express contacted Metro water officials from Zone 14, they weren't aware of such a set-up. "Metro water is laying only underground water pipes in this area. And corporation is laying storm water drains in the eastern side of ECR. We will look into the issue immediately," said an official.