Tankers continue to dump raw sewage into stormwater drains in Chennai's Maduravoyal
CHENNAI: Illegal dumping of sewage into stormwater drains in the Adayalampattu-Thiruverkadu service road continues despite several complaints over the years, say local residents. This is done several times a week they alleged and shared pictures of a tanker lorry dumping raw sewage into stormwater drains maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Thirumalai Dasan K, a resident, said he has been flagging the issue for seven years. "I have raised multiple complaints. In many places, manhole covers and top cover slabs are missing and the tankers make use of these openings. Earlier, they used to release sewage several times a day. Now, it happens twice or thrice a week," he said.
In 2016, Rs 10.52 crore was approved for constructing cover slabs over the stormwater drains. However, work was undertaken by NHAI only last December and is still incomplete.
On the other hand, the 1.3-km stretch from Madurvoyal link road to Nolambur subway, where the illegal disposal of sewage is rampant, in parts, falls under the purview of three local bodies- while one part of the stretch comes under the Adayalampattu Panchayat, the others come under Thiruverkadu Municipality and Chennai Corporation.
A government official who did not want to be identified said he had himself noticed tankers emptying sewage into stormwater drain and had captured photos of the same.
While municipality officials in Thiruverkadu said the portion where photos of tankers disposing sewage were taken recently fell under Adayalampattu panchayat, officials in Adayalampattu said it would fall under Thiruverkadu municipality.
In case of the municipality, the sanitary inspector is authorised to initiate action against the illegal disposal of sewage whereas the Panchayat president takes action in case of it falling under the panchayat purview, said officials.
"This is a strange case where every few metres comes under the purview of three different local bodies. There are many cases when the Panchayat president has flagged the issue and has faced threats. This can be stopped only when all three local body representatives take up the issue together with the help of the police," said an official from Adayalampattu Panchayat.