ARIYALUR: Nearly 13 years have passed since the Ariyalur municipality took up the Rs 30.93-crore project to link every building in its 18 wards with the underground sewage system. Only 1,900 connections have, however, been provided so far, leading to sewage drains in the open, rue locals. According to sources, the municipality took up execution of the project in 2009.
A sum of Rs 27.50 crore and Rs 3.43 crore were allocated for it in two phases. While manhole and sewage treatment plant (STP) construction have been completed, sewerage connections were provided only since 2020. So far only 1,900 connections have been provided. This has led to sewage to discharge into the open at localities like College Road, Bangalow Road and Alagappa Nagar, complain locals.
The stench from such sewage aside, the discharge via provided connections has led to blockage near the municipal pumping station. A pool of sewage now surrounds the station, point out locals. R Sankar, a resident of Ward 8, said, "Despite the project being a decade old, several places in Ariyalur are yet to be provided underground sewage connections. I paid deposit for a connection eight years ago but still haven’t been given one. As a result, sewage overflows to the road often. The open lines and leaking sewage have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes."
"Officials should prepare a list of those who have been waiting for long after paying the deposit and provide them with sewage connection first," he added. Another resident, M Anandhan, said, "There is a 50-foot sewage well outside the pumping station at Sathya Nagar. Due to blockage, the sewage in the well overflows onto the road. The authorities must complete the sewerage project quickly, clear the sewage around the well and fence it which looks dangerous." When contacted, a senior municipality official said,
"Since 2020 we have been providing connections to everyone. We have also sent a proposal to the government to provide 5,000 new connections. Once we get the approval, we will implement it quickly."