CHENNAI: Officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) along with police officials and councillors held a peace talk with residents of Thalankuppam Colony and Nettukuppam near Ennore, on Monday. This is after TNIE reported that a handful of dominant caste families from adjoining Nettukuppam had opposed the laying of an underground sewage pipeline for the toilet near their houses.
Senior corporation officials told TNIE that field inspections revealed that there was no alternative, geographically, for the sewage line passing through houses in the Nettukuppam area. “Now, the toilet is made functional with a septic tank but we are aware that this is not a permanent solution and sewage pipelines have to be laid sooner rather than later,” said a senior corporation official.
Officials explained the situation to the residents and sought their cooperation in laying a 20-m sewage line. The officials also promised that they will ensure that residents of Nettukuppam are not inconvenienced in any way. GCC and metro water officials are planning to start work on laying the sewage pipelines on Tuesday. “While a majority of the families agreed, a small group continued to protest and said that they will not allow the sewage lines to pass through the area, but officials explained to them that they will do what needs to be done,” said a resident of Thalankuppam.
The corporation had taken up renovation of the 40-year-old public toilet at Thalankuppam Colony around three years ago. However, even after three months of the construction being completed, the residents were unable to use it since a group in the adjacent neighbourhood protested against laying underground sewage for the toilet in their area.