CHENNAI: Nearly a hundred residents of Koladi in Thiruverkadu Municipality were detained on Saturday for protesting against fencing a playground near Koladi lake, where the government plans to set up a sewage treatment plant (STP).
Residents have been opposing the STP for fear of water contamination in the nearby waterbodies, including the Koladi lake, and also for fear of losing the playground which has been used by locals and national-level athletes for several decades. The detained residents were released later in the day.
According to sources, the government plans to lay underground drainage (UGD) systems in the municipalities of Poonamallee, Mangadu and Thiruverkadu at a cost of Rs 972.73 crore. As part of the project, a sewage treatment plant has been proposed on around 8 acres of the 13-acre playground near the Koladi lake. This facility is being set up to treat wastewater from Thiruverkadu, Mangadu and Kundrathur municipalities.
While residents have welcomed the UGD plan, they have opposed the site chosen for the STP owing to its proximity to water resources and public infrastructure.
Residents point out that a government school located just 40 metres from the proposed site prepares meals for hundreds of schoolchildren in Thiruverkadu Municipality under the CM’s Breakfast Scheme. In the event of drinking water resources being affected due to leakage, it might lead to serious health and environmental risks, they said.
M Shankar, a resident, said, “There’s an alternative location near the Cooum, but the authorities have chosen this playground close to the lake for the plant.”
S Sarathy (56), a local kabaddi coach for over 35 years, said, “I’ve been training athletes on this ground for decades. During 2021 election campaign, current minister S M Nasar actually promised to convert this playground into a mini stadium. Now, they are trampling the hopes of countless sportspersons.”
Tiruvallur Collector M Prathap acknowledged that an STP has indeed been proposed at the site near the lake. However, he said the current fencing of the playground is to prevent illegal sand extraction from the place. “An FIR was recently registered in connection with such illegal activities here,” he added.
Regarding the residents’ concerns, he said people need not worry about contamination as it is going to be only a tertiary treatment plant and no wastewater will be discharged into nearby waterbodies. The current location has been selected based on technical studies, which took into account the gradient and gravity flow, and alternative sites may not work as well, he added.