TIRUCHY: A sewage treatment plant (STP) proposed at a cost of to Rs 8 crore to address chronic sewage pollution in Thiruvanaikoil has remained stalled for over a year due to fund constraints, even as untreated sewage continues to flow through a canal, once an irrigation channel, and end up at pond contaminating groundwater.
According to sources, untreated sewage from residential areas and commercial establishments is being discharged into the Samba canal through open drains every day. The 3-km-long canal passes through several areas like Nariyan Street, Chennai Trunk Road and the Tiruchy-Chennai National Highway, carrying the sewage to the pond behind a hotel near Y Road Junction turning it into a dump. This has been severely polluting groundwater and affecting the surrounding agricultural lands that once produced banana and paddy crops. During monsoon, rainwater causes sewage to overflow from the pond to adjoining fields.
Residents and corporation councillors have been raising the issue repeatedly over the last two years, seeking the construction of an STP near Y Junction Road to treat the sewage and release the treated water into the Kollidam.
However, the corporation's proposed project to set up a plant at a cost of Rs 8 crore sent for approval hasn't been cleared allegedly due to fund constraints, sources said.
Speaking to TNIE, Ward 5 Councillor S Muthukumar said, "The issue has been affecting residents for years. People living near a brick kiln in the locality are unable to use groundwater for drinking purposes and are forced to depend on street taps near the Kollidam bridge. The government should immediately allocate funds, construct retaining walls along the canal, and establish the STP."
A farmer owning land near Y Junction Road said, "For years, we have been unable to raise crops owing to groundwater contamination. Even if we set up borewells, the water is unfit for use."
Residents also pointed out that an existing sewage treatment plant near Yatri Nivas in Srirangam, which handles waste water from Wards 3, 4 and 5, has remained non-functional for 6 months. As a result, untreated sewage is allegedly being discharged into the Kollidam. Repeated pleas to the authorities have not yielded any result, they alleged.
When contacted, a senior corporation official said, "We will look into this issue. Approval for maintenance works at the Srirangam STP is still pending."