CHENNAI: A deadline of August has been set for the completion of the long-delayed underground sewerage project at Anakaputhur in Chennai. This comes after the mounting pressure on the state to curb untreated waste being discharged into the ecologically fragile Potheri Lake in Pallavaram.
At a high-level meeting held on June 26 at the Secretariat in Chennai, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam directed senior officials to expedite construction of the underground sewerage system (UGSS) and sewage treatment plant (STP) at Anakaputhur. The meeting was convened to assess the state’s compliance with environmental directives issued by the NGT (South Zone) bench concerning restoration of Potheri Lake and sufficient sewage infrastructure in Tambaram.
The underground system involves pipelines running 50km and covering 389 streets in Anakaputhur, and 100 km across 877 streets in Pammal. It also includes the construction of two sewage treatment plants.
Shifting from conventional norms, the project proposes to replace 2,212 manholes in Pammal and 768 in Anakaputhur with machine holes. The officials also decided on stricter enforcement to deter illegal dumping of solid and liquid waste around Potheri Lake.
Surveillance is set to be ramped up with the integration of CCTV systems around the lake with both police and the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) for real-time monitoring.
“All sewage transport vehicles operating in the Tambaram zone will be GPS-enabled, with permission for release only at authorised treatment plants,” official sources told TNIE. “Unlawful disposal will result in steep penalties, including licence revocation.”
The push to fast-track environmental safeguards comes in the wake of a contempt notice issued by Kancheepuram resident V Pattabiraman. The NGT had earlier directed the state in its July 18, 2022 order to implement corrective measures and the timeline for this has since lapsed.
The NGT order directed Tambaram Municipal Corporation and the Greater Chennai Corporation to take steps to implement the underground sewage scheme in uncovered areas within their jurisdictions to avoid untreated sewage being let into Potheri lake. The other recommendations include fixing the boundaries of Potheri Lake and remove encroachments, if any.