CHENNAI: Pallavaram municipality’s struggle with sewage seems to have no end. Though municipal authorities told the National Green Tribunal that letting sewage into Keelkattalai surplus canal has been stopped, residents say that it is not true. The sewage being let into the canal eventually pollutes Pallikarnai marshland.
Sewage has been illegally let into Kovilambakkam canal, near Eechangadu signal along Medavakkam high road, by Pallavaram municipality in broad daylight for the last one week, said an activist. The next NGT hearing on the issue, which affects 1,500 families, is slated for next week.
“There is continuous discharge of sewage from storm water drains along Medavakkam high road into the canal. This can be seen anytime. There are also frequent breakdowns at sewage pumping station leading to discharge of sewage into the canal. An illegal underground pipeline has also been laid from the pumping station to the canal,” said J Sankar of Federation of Sunnambu Kolathur Residents Association.
In 2005, residents had moved the Madras HC against setting up of pumping station near Kilkattalai lake. But it was constructed at a cost of Rs 75 crore and opened in 2014. “We have been complaining from 2014. Previously, when a pipeline was laid illegally to let sewage into the water body, we opposed it and submitted petitions.
The situation improved when the pipeline was removed, but three months later, we realised that more pipes have been laid to discharge sewage,” said another member of the association. Officials of the Pallavaram municipality could not be contacted despite repeated attempts for their response.