CHENNAI: Around 5,000 families in S Kolathur fear they may soon have to drink and use water laced with sewage. The Kancheepuram district collector recently ordered diverting sewage from a few residential areas into the Narayanapuram lake, the main water source for residents of S Kolathur, a suburban area in southern Chennai.
The district collector had ordered diversion of the sewage into the lake as a part of the flood mitigation measures in the monsoon season, say activists. Residents question the logic of letting sewage into a lake that provides for their drinking water.
It is learnt that the district collector P Ponniah gave the direction about two weeks ago after he recently noticed sewage and rainwater from a few areas of Kovilambakkam forming small ponds on either side of the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Link Road. After the collector's order, a mud canal was made to empty the sewage into the lake, just metres away from the well the Kovilambakkam Panchayat uses to collect the lake's water.
“My family drinks the water supplied by the panchayat after treating it with an RO system. But if the pollution of the water source continues, it will have an effect on the water despite the treatment processes,” said J Shankar, organiser of the Federation of S Kolathur Resident Welfare Associations, expressing concerns that the mixing of sewage in the lake could have an irreversible impact.
While the inflow of sewage for the last few days is yet to have any visible effects on the lake, residents fear that it is only a matter of time before the contamination reaches dangerous levels and leads to health issues for people who use the water.
Residents alleged that their alternative suggestions to handle the sewage, like soak pits and use of tankers, were turned down by the St Thomas Mount Block Development Officer Venkatraman. “These are the temporary measures the government should be taking to prevent flooding, not emptying the sewage into the lake which provides us water,” said G Shivakumar, a member of Kagithapuram Residents Welfare Association.
Representatives of various areas of S Kolathur such as Ambedkar Nagar, Kagithapuram, Manimegalai Nagar, Unmai Nagar, Raja Nagar and LIC Nagar approached the district collector on Monday regarding the issue, but no steps have been take to prevent the pollution of the lake and contamination of their water source till today (Thursday).
“If the quantity of sewage increases, we will have to provide a drainage system for the residents of Vinayagapuram, Thillai Nagar and Kagithapuram ( areas from where the sewage drains into the lake). Till the monsoon ends our hands are tied because we can’t let these areas drown (in case of heavy monsoon rains),” said K Venkatraman, St Thomas Mount Block Development Officer.
The district collector Ponniah could not reached for comment.